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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866989">Norma's Liaison to the 501st</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiredUpAuthor/pseuds/FiredUpAuthor'>FiredUpAuthor</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnieears/pseuds/minnieears'>minnieears</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Nine of Norma and their Clones [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Female Character, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Deserved Better, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 is a Little Shit, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Original Character(s), I really love mermaids and decide to make a mermaid character, Mermaids, Military, Singing, Sirens, Tags May Change, The Force</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:20:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiredUpAuthor/pseuds/FiredUpAuthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnieears/pseuds/minnieears</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Yggdrasil Empire wanting to strengthen its ties further with the Republic, Empress Artemisia, and Sigrun decide to send a military liaison to shadow one of the Jedi General's and their clone troopers. Having sent one of the Nine to Coruscant, Sigrun decides to send Olrun to the 501st. While there she learns more about the plot against her sister Gondul, and she just might make some unforgettable friends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-1010 | Fox/Original Female Character(s), CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555/Original Female Character(s), CT-7567 | Rex/Original Female Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Nine of Norma and their Clones [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The New 501st Liaison</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This takes place at the same time as my other work 'The Conspiracy of Norma.'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look alive gentlemen, the liaison to the Empire will be arriving shortly,” announced General Skywalker. “We need these supplies unloaded and unpacked before her arrival!”</p><p>Everyone aboard the Resolute was thrown into a panic trying to get everything ready for the liaison’s arrival. With everyone rushing around, it was easy for Fives and Echo to slip away as they were unloading what appeared to be a giant tank.</p><p>“Rex,” Fives called.</p><p>The Captain looked up from the datapad he was reading at the sound of his name being called.</p><p>“What’s all the commotion about?”</p><p>“Didn’t you hear?” asked Rex, setting the datapad down, “one of the Nine of Yggdrasil is coming to the Resolute.”</p><p>Fives and Echo exchanged looks.</p><p>“Why would they send someone, who has opposed the war from the start to the 501<sup>st</sup>?”</p><p>“Empress Artemisia feels that it would help the Empire strengthen their bonds with the Republic by doing so. Remember boys, they’ve only recently come out of isolation.”</p><p>“Yes, but why all this?” Echo asked gesturing to the giant tank.</p><p>Rex shrugged.</p><p>“I’m not sure myself. All I know is that the liaison said these things were required for her to come on board.”</p><p>“So it’s a woman?” Fives asked with a grin.</p><p>Rex narrowed his eyes and frowned at his brother.</p><p>“Yes, why?”</p><p>Fives just shrugged.</p><p>“Just remembering the last time there was a woman on board.”</p><p>“Hey, maybe I might get lucky this time,” Echo said nudging Fives with a grin.</p><p>Rex rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Just make sure you have everything done before she gets here,” he said picking up his datapad again.</p><p>“Yes, sir!”</p><p> </p><p>Olrun was running through the last system check before coming out of hyperspace. With Anima nagging her ear off, it was taking longer than she originally thought.</p><p>“It could be fun!” Anima exclaimed over the sound system. “Imagine all the stories you’d have! You’d get to go to all these new places, meet new people, an—”</p><p>“Anima! I swear if you don’t shut up, I will turn you off!” Olrun shouted at the ceiling.</p><p>Anima went quiet, then, “Just saying…”</p><p>Olrun huffed, blowing some of her long brown hair out of her face.</p><p>When Lady Sigrún had told her she was to become the Imperial liaison to the military, she was not pleased, to say the least. She questioned why her Lady would send one of the Nine to the military when she had already sent one of the Senate. Sigrún had told her to trust her wisdom, and, seeing as how she was rarely wrong, Olrun did. So, here she was, about five minutes away from her destination, wondering if she shut off the AI would finally be able to think for the first time the entire trip.</p><p>“Shutting off hyperdrive, prepare for arrival.”</p><p>“Manual over-ride.”</p><p>“What you don’t think I can do it?” Anima asked, sounding offended.</p><p>“No. Not after Serafeem.”</p><p>“That was a long time ago.”</p><p>“Not long enough.”</p><p>Olrun pulled back a lever, and she was confronted by the sight of a venator class Star Destroyer. It was a lot bigger than she thought it would be. But Olrun didn’t let that bother her, as someone contacted her for her authorization code, which she gave.</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone look alive,” called the General, “The liaison will be docking in a few minutes! I want everyone on their best behavior!”</p><p>“Right! What Master Skywalker said!” piped up Commander Tano.</p><p>The General gave his padawan a smile.</p><p>The ship carrying the liaison arrived shortly thereafter, it was strange, like none the clones had ever seen. Its wings expanded outwards, looking almost like a star, then closing again once it had touched down. The ramp lowered a few moments later, and many were grateful he was wearing their helmets because out walked probably the most beautiful woman they’d ever seen.</p><p>She had beautiful dark brown hair that reached almost to her waist, an olive complexion, and unnaturally blue eyes. Across her back was a silver looking staff. It was her eyes that drew most of his attention, they looked as if they held an ocean in them. She walked with an easy grace towards the General and Commander, shaking their hands and speaking to them quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“It is a pleasure to have you here, Olrun,” greeted the Jedi Master, holding out his hand.</p><p>“The pleasure is mine, Jedi,” she said with an incline of her head.</p><p>“I am Anakin Skywalker, and this is my padawan Ahsoka Tano,” the Jedi said, gesturing to the small girl beside him.</p><p>“Your accent is beautiful,” Tano squeaked.</p><p>Olrun smiled at the compliment and inclined her head again.</p><p>“Thank you. Yours is beautiful too.”</p><p>The youngling grinned.</p><p>“I can’t express how grateful we are to have you here,” the Jedi Master went on, “Any chance to strengthen ties with the Yggdrasil Empire is a welcome one.”</p><p>His words sounded rehearsed like he had to be forced to say them. Olrun could feel from him an uneasiness of having her around. Her eyes drifted across the sea of helmeted clones before her. She had never met a clone, much like her sister Gondul, who had taken up residence on Coruscant. Gondul had told her they could be kind but were fiercely loyal to the Republic. She wondered what working with them would be like. She hadn’t asked Gondul what her clones were like, she wished she had now.</p><p>“You will be working directly with Captain Rex and his men,” the Jedi was saying, pulling Olrun from her musings.</p><p>“Do you have everything I asked for?” she asked.</p><p>The Jedi nodded.</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“Can I ask why we needed to get all that stuff?”</p><p>“You can.”</p><p>There was a pause when no one said anything.</p><p>“Are you going to tell me why?”</p><p>“No. Just know it is so I can stay here for an extended amount of time.”</p><p>“Rrrrright… well if you’ll follow me, I’ll introduce you to Rex and the boys.”</p><p>Olrun followed the Jedi Master quietly, sensing his growing unease at her silence. The Jedi wondered, quite loudly, why she wasn’t assigned to the 212<sup>th</sup> with an Obi-Wan Kenobi, he thought she would have been a better fit there.</p><p>While they walked to wherever it was they were going, Olrun could feel several eyes following her. But that was nothing usual, she had grown far too used to people gawking at her, being what she was and all.</p><p>“Captain Rex,” the Jedi called, and a clone with an aura of superiority turned around and saluted.</p><p>“General,” greeted the Captain.</p><p>“Meet our new liaison to the Yggdrasil Empire. This is Olrun… uh… I didn’t catch a last name.”</p><p>“I don’t have one. It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain,” she said giving him the traditional greeting of Norma, bowing before someone, arms folded in, with your palms down and your fingers touching to the first knuckle.</p><p>“Same to you, Ms.” She could feel sadness coming from him and wondered why. “I’d like for you to meet ARC Troopers Fives and Echo, Hardcase, Kix, and Jesse.”</p><p>“A pleasure. Master Jedi,” she said turning to the man, “I was wondering if I could be shown to my room. I’d like to unpack, then contact Sigrún to let her know I’ve arrived.”</p><p>“Of course. One of my men can show you the way. I’m afraid I have a meeting of my own to go to,” he said eyeballing Rex.</p><p>“I can show you!” exclaimed the one called Fives.</p><p>Olrun felt a sense of dread, she desperately didn’t want this assignment to go like all the others.</p><p>The Jedi nodded, before turning on his heels and leaving with the Captain following after him.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you,” Fives said, holding out his hand.</p><p>Olrun took it tentatively, before quickly withdrawing her hand.</p><p>“My stuff is still on my ship,” she said.</p><p>“Right,” he smiled.</p><p>She turned and strolled back the way they had come. There were people milling about, many staring at the ship.</p><p>“You know, that’s the strangest looking ship I’ve ever seen. Is that normal for Norma?” Fives asked, chuckling at his rhyme.</p><p>“Yes it is,” she replied, walking up the ramp.</p><p>She didn’t need the Force to know the man was frowning.</p><p>She walked towards the cockpit to gather up the few belongings she had brought. With Fives marveling in the background.</p><p>“Who is this you brought with you? You never bring anyone in here?” Anima said, startling Fives, who drew his pistol, whipping around for the source of the noise.</p><p>Olrun smiled at his reaction.</p><p>“Relax. That’s just Anima. The AI of the ship.”</p><p>Anima huffed.</p><p>“You make it sound like I’m nothing more than a navigation system.”</p><p>“I can also have you shut off if I so please.”</p><p>Anima gasped.</p><p>“You wouldn’t dare!”</p><p>“Keep it up and I might.”</p><p>Anima fell silent.</p><p>“Sorry, about that. Here, you can carry this,” she said handing him a box.</p><p>Fives showed Olrun to her room, chattering the whole way, reminding her an awful lot of Anima, though at least he had a sense of humor. He seemed to be trying to make her laugh. Which he only managed a small smile.</p><p>“Here we are,” he said stopping in front of a door that had Olrun written above it.</p><p>“Thank you,” she said, trying to take the box from his hands, which he moved out of her reach.</p><p>Olrun frowned up at him.</p><p>“I can take it from here.”</p><p>“Oh I don’t doubt it, but what kind of a gentleman would I be if I left you here.”</p><p>Olrun frowned but opened the door. It was bare, save for a desk and a bed.</p><p>“There’s a door to your own fresher over there,” Fives said putting the box down on the desk. “Do you want help unpacking?”</p><p>“No. Thank you,” she added quickly.</p><p>Fives frowned at her quickest.</p><p>“I’ll see you later,” Olrun said gesturing the man out.</p><p>Once he was gone, Olrun slumped down on her bed, pulling up her shirt to reveal a large patch of dried-out skin.</p><p>“Hopefully I can last a little longer before I need to go back,” she said running a finger over the rough skin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olrun didn’t need the Force to feel the eyes on her. In the few days since she had joined the Resolute she almost always felt eyes on her. The only eyes that didn’t seem to follow her were the Jedi and the Captain, which she was grateful for, as she was working closely with in order to learn GAR protocol. But Olrun was a quick learner. Thankfully, Rex had put an end to the relentless flirting when he saw it was making her uncomfortable. She still sensed an unending sadness from him and wondered how the two Jedi could not sense it, or maybe they chose to ignore it? She did not ask, nor did she pry into his mind, but was curious, nonetheless.</p><p>The eyes had become so bad that Olrun found herself eating in her room, away from everyone. Which she felt was for the best. No one would question why she only eating fish products and nothing else.</p><p>She had just finished eating and was cleaning up when she collapsed to her knees, feeling the skin around one of her hips tighten and become very itchy. Pulling down the side of her pants revealed a new patch of dried-out skin. Olrun cursed. It wouldn’t be much longer before she’d have to go back to the water. She slowly rose, feeling the dried-out skin protest against her.</p><p> There was a knock on her door.</p><p>“Ms. Olrun,” it was the little Jedi, “my Master would like to see you on the bridge.”</p><p>Olrun opened the door and smiled down at the small girl.</p><p>“Of course. Would you help me find my way? I’m afraid I still don’t completely know my way around here.”</p><p>Ahsoka was more than happy to show her the way, all the while the eyes followed her.</p><p>“Don’t worry about them,” Ahsoka said, “I think they’re just not used to having someone new aboard.”</p><p>“I hope your right.”</p><p>When they made it to the bridge, the Jedi Master and Captain were there, speaking in hushed voices, but ended the conversation when the two women entered.</p><p>“Olrun,” the Jedi greeted.</p><p>“Jedi,” she returned.</p><p>He smiled good-naturedly.</p><p>“I have a name, ya know.”</p><p>“As do I. That doesn’t mean I use it.”</p><p>The Captain chuckled.</p><p>No… it wasn’t the Captain, his armor was different. So was his aura. It was more light-hearted and warmer. Olrun resisted the urge to read him further and folded her arms.</p><p>“I assume there’s a reason why you called me here. And not to just question me about names.”</p><p>The Jedi cleared his throat before gesturing to her to join them at the terminal. He pressed a few buttons and the terminal pulled up the image of a planet she didn’t recognize.</p><p>“Do you know what planet this is?” the General asked.</p><p>Olrun stared at him.</p><p>“No. I don’t.”</p><p>This seemed to take him back.</p><p>“Oh. Well, this is the water world of Mon Cala.”</p><p>He looked at her to see if this was helpful. It wasn’t.</p><p>“General, let’s just assume I know nothing about what you’re talking about.”</p><p>Everyone seemed to forget she was from a former self-isolated Empire, and therefore knew next to nothing about the Republic and its conflicts.</p><p>“The people of Mon Cala are loyal to the Republic and need Republican help.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Recently there was a bad seaquake and they need some relief.”</p><p>Olrun nodded.</p><p>“So, in a few days, we will be arriving on Mon Cala. In that time we’ll be getting you prepared for the underwater gear and – “</p><p>“No need.”</p><p>The Jedi and the clone exchanged looks.</p><p>“It’s to help you breathe underwater.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“Ummm…”</p><p>“General, there are some things you don’t know about me.”</p><p>She then felt a small itch in the back of her mind.</p><p>“And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try and read my mind to find out.”</p><p>Instantly the itch disappeared.</p><p>“Is that all you need?</p><p>“You had a message from a… Sigrún.”</p><p>“Can you have it forward to my room?”</p><p> </p><p>Fives found Olrun in the gym hours later, staff in hand. He watched as she moved across the mat, using the staff like it was an extension of her arms. Spinning it from side to side, over her head, striking, spinning it around her neck. It was beautiful. Almost looking like she was dancing.</p><p>Fives wasn’t the only one watching her. He noticed many of his brothers were there as well. He spotted Echo and went to join him.</p><p>“She’s amazing,” Echo said once Fives was next to him.</p><p>Fives nodded in agreement.</p><p>“Wonder how long it took her to get that good?”</p><p>“Years, by the look of it.”</p><p>“Hey,” Jesse said, nudging Fives in the ribs, “maybe she can teach us a little something?”</p><p>Fives chuckled.</p><p>“Hey, what do you think she meant earlier? That she wouldn’t need the underwater gear?”</p><p>His brothers shrugged their shoulders.</p><p>“What species are from Yggdrasil? Does anyone know?”</p><p>There is a murmur of speculation of what they thought the species were.</p><p>“Are you all going to just stare and whisper?” Olrun asked, glaring at them, and whipping her face and neck.</p><p>The clones jumped at the sound of her voice.</p><p>Fives walked up to her, a good-natured smile, which she eyed with suspicion.</p><p>“Your pretty good with that,” he said pointing to the staff in her hand.</p><p>She glanced from her staff then back to him.</p><p>“Thank you,” she said slowly, almost like this was unusual.</p><p>“How long did it take you to get that good?”</p><p>“A few years.”</p><p>“Your very good.”</p><p>“You’ve already said that.”</p><p>Fives chuckled.</p><p>“The boys and I were wondering if you could show us a few moves.”</p><p>Olrun seemed to think about this for a moment.</p><p>“If anything you’d get to beat up a few guys,” he joked.</p><p>That got a small smile from her.</p><p>“Very well. I don’t see why not. But not today.”</p><p> </p><p>Olrun woke with a start, wheezing, sweat pouring from her, her skin feeling tight and itchy. She had run out of time. She needed to get to the tank.</p><p>Stumbling from her bed, she quickly threw on a pair of shorts before nearly falling when the door of her room opened.</p><p>The tank was on the same level as her, she had to get to it. It was becoming harder to breathe and to see where she was going.</p><p><em>Please, Lua and Hua, don’t let me run into anyone, </em>she prayed.</p><p>She made it to the door, and fumbled with the access code, and finally got it on her fifth try. There, sitting in a vast room was her tank. She looked upon it in gratitude. Not noticing the man sitting on the walkway above the tank.</p><p> </p><p>Fives sat above this giant tank, wondering why he had to go and piss of Rex today. Rex had punished him by assigning him the duty of watching over the empty tank and making sure no one tried to go for a swim. He’d been there for hours, watching nothing. When he noticed Olrun stumbling in. She looked terrible. She was sweaty, not like she had been earlier like her body was trying to get rid of something, and there were these strange patches all over her body.</p><p>He watched as she stumbled up the stairs to the top of the tank, feeling like he shouldn’t be there. He made his way down to the ground, intending to leave and suffer Rex’s wrath, just as she made it to the top of the stairs and dove in.</p><p>Fives watched in horrified amazement as Olrun seemed to change before his very eyes.</p><p>The second she hit the water, she starts taking her clothes off and began to scream in agony. He watched as her skin started peeling away to reveal a grayish blue-tinged second skin, her teeth started sharpening, and her nails turned to claws and thin webbing between her fingers grew. A fin grew from her spin, as her body contorted in terrible angles. Gils formed on both sides of her ribs. Her torso flatted out and a winged shaped fin forming over her pectorals. Fins on both sides of her pelvis and her legs began to fuse together, with her legs now beginning replaced by a tail, with a barbed stinger in between her tail fins.</p><p>Fives marveled at her. Once the transformation was finished, she seemed to clam down, but noticed Fives standing there. And the looked of rage came over her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hell Hath No Fury...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fives has to face the consequences of his actions! Oh no! And Olrun gets a defender!!<br/>Also, make sure to check out minnieears' Catastrophe Clones series!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives had been desperately trying to avoid Olrun all day, whenever he spotted her he would make a b-line for the opposite direction. The outrage on her face last night when she had realized he had been there could have made a lesser man keel over on the spot, and Fives was no above that. Images of Olrun being ripped apart and pieced back together kept again flashed through his mind. Her screams also haunted him.</p><p>Fives was looking over the inventory for the relief mission to Mon Cala when Echo came over and tapped him on the shoulder.</p><p>“Hey uh… any idea why Olrun is in such a foul mood today?”</p><p>“Nope,” he replied, maybe a little too quickly. “Why?”</p><p>“Well, she’s been going around with a look of murder all day… and she’s coming this way.”</p><p>“<em>What?”</em></p><p>Fives whirled around and his stomach felt like it dropped to the floor. Olrun, with a look that could kill, was stomping towards them. Fives quickly shoved the inventory list at Echo and tried to high-tail it out of there.</p><p>“Oh no, you don’t!”</p><p>Fives found himself unable to move, his mind racing with possible ways to get out of this. Until that is, he felt a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“You and I have to talk,” Olrun said in a voice that made a chill run up his spine, and he found himself able to move once more.</p><p>Fives wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole, or maybe he could play dumb and say he didn’t see anything.</p><p>He slunk after her, Olrun’s form ridged. Though, she did look better than she did the previous day. Healthier, more well-rested, none of those strange patches on her skin.</p><p>“Complimenting me, will not make this go away,” she growled.</p><p>This confused Fives, until he remembered she was Force-sensitive.</p><p>She found an empty room and pointed for him to go inside. Fives hesitated for a moment. This was it. This was how he died. At the hands of a very beautiful, and very pissed off woman. He guessed there were worse ways to go.</p><p>Olrun rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Quit being a dramatic baby and get in!”</p><p>Fives dragged himself into the room. It was a storage unit.</p><p>Olrun quietly shut the door behind her before rounding on him. Fives, despite being much larger than her, felt very small in the face of her unbridled anger.</p><p><em>“You!” </em>she said pointing at him. Fives felt like she had just punched him in the stomach. “<em>What were you doing in there last night?”</em></p><p>“Umm… C-Captain Rex assigned me to watch over the tank to make sure no one got any ideas to go for a… swim…”</p><p>Olrun glared at him.</p><p>“I <em>specifically told them that no one was to go in there!”</em></p><p>Olrun began screaming at him, often switching from Common to her native tongue, meaning Fives got about a quarter of what she was saying. He just stood there and took her anger. Realizing that she had every right to be furious. He did, briefly, see her naked, and watched what was obviously a very painful and intimate process.</p><p>“You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said quietly.</p><p>“<em>Hvað?”</em></p><p>“I said,” he spoke a little louder this time, “You’re completely right. I shouldn’t have been in there in the first place. I’m sorry, Olrun. I invaded your privacy and I’m sorry. I… I have no excuse to give. I just hope that you’ll forgive me… one day.”</p><p>Fives hadn’t realized that his hands were trembling during her ranting.</p><p>Olrun seemed to be taken aback by the apology, blinking at him. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, before narrowing her eyes at him.</p><p>“Right. Well… make sure it doesn’t happen again.”</p><p>She turned around and put her hand on the door, before turning to look at him from over her shoulder, her expression softer now.</p><p>“Thank you, for apologizing. I know you have questions, but please don’t ask. And I’m still angry but thank you.”</p><p>Fives nodded and watched her leave the room, before letting out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding.</p><p> </p><p>“Olrun,” the Captain greeted as she walked into the meeting room, “where have you been all day?”</p><p>“Dealing with something.”</p><p>The Captain raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Should I ask?”</p><p>“No,” she said looking at him through her lashes, “you shouldn’t.”</p><p>The Captain nodded.</p><p>“So, what do I get to learn today, Captain?” Olrun asked sitting down across from the Captain.</p><p>“Today I thought we’d go over inventory regulations.”</p><p>Olrun nodded.</p><p>“Sounds a bit dull, but I’m all ears.”</p><p>Rex was about to start speaking when the terminal in the center of the table activated. A Holo-message from Lady Sigrún began playing.</p><p>“Olrun, I have something urgent I need to tell you,” Sigrún sounded nervous, which was unlike her.</p><p>Olrun stood and came in view of the call.</p><p>“I’m here, My Lady, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Gondul was just attacked the other day on Coruscant.”</p><p>Olrun’s heart jumped into her throat.</p><p>“Is she alright?”</p><p>Sigrún waved the question away, her wings flapping nervously.</p><p>“She’s fine. But that’s not the problem.”</p><p>“What is?”</p><p>“She was attacked by Chidori.”</p><p>“Chidori? But I thought she had died when…” she let the question hang in the air, unfinished.</p><p>“As did I. The problem is that Chidori might have had something to do with the death of our late Empress and Emperor… my poor sister,” she said the last part to herself, and Olrun didn’t comment on it. But she felt stunned, nonetheless.</p><p>“Are… are you sure? Are…”</p><p>“If Gondul is to be believed, then yes. I’m afraid so.”</p><p>Olrun stared at her Lady.</p><p>“I know, it’s hard to believe that we might actually have a lead for the first time in years… but Olrun,” Lady Sigrún gazed at her with a deadly seriousness, “I need for you to keep your eyes and ears peeled for any information on these traitors. Anything, I don’t care how small, I want to know.”</p><p>“Yes, My Lady.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>Sigrún ended the call.</p><p>“What was that about?” Rex asked, causing Olrun to jump. She had forgotten he was there.</p><p>Olrun sighed.</p><p>“I guess there’s no point in hiding it now. A few years ago, a group of traitors attacked and killed the late Empress Marie and her husband Emperor Shay. They also almost succeeded in killing the princesses, but…” Olrun sighed in frustration. “We don’t really know what happened. The Princesses refuse to speak of what happened. Though, I don’t blame them. By the time we got there, they had gone, leaving only those poor girls clutching at their parent’s bodies. It was a horrible time.”</p><p>“You’ve never found the people responsible?”</p><p>“Not for lack of trying, no. The only witnesses to the event are now our Empress, slightly mad, and a member of the Order. And the other four weren’t there and would be too young to remember anything.”</p><p>“Wait… there are <em>seven princesses?”</em></p><p>Olrun giggled at Rex’s surprise.</p><p>“Yes. You make it seem like an odd thing.”</p><p>“Just… <em>seven children?”</em></p><p>“It’s not an uncommon thing. And besides, you have millions of brothers. Why are you so surprised.”</p><p>“Fair point.”</p><p> </p><p>Fives returned to the hangar a little while later and began going over inventory again, with Echo and Jesse giving him questioning looks.</p><p>“What?” he asked after a few minutes of their staring.</p><p>“What was that all about?”</p><p>“What was what all about?” asked Fives, playing dumb.</p><p>Echo rolled his eyes.</p><p>“All that with Olrun,” he said gesturing to the entrance of the hangar.</p><p>“Oh, that. I might have walked into her room by accident last night,” he lied.</p><p>His brothers didn’t seem to completely believe that but didn’t question him any more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Training Fiasco</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olrun was walking down one of the hallways, reading the newest message from Gondul, when she heard someone call her name. Turning, she saw that it was Fives and his other half Echo. The two were rarely seen without each other. Olrun had a theory that they might actually be attached at the hip. She waited for them to catch up with her.</p>
<p>“Yes?” she asked raising an eyebrow when they caught up.</p>
<p>“So, some of the boys and I were wondering if you’d be willing to show some of us some moves on your stick thing?” Fives asked.</p>
<p>Olrun smiled despite herself.</p>
<p>“Well, I’ve nothing to do for a little while. I don’t see why not.”</p>
<p>It had been a few days since Fives had discovered her secret, and true to his word, he had told no one; and Olrun was no longer angry with him. Though she had let the Captain know her displeasure, and while he did not understand why, he agreed that no one would go into the tank room without her permission.</p>
<p>Fives and Echo high-fived each other like children, which made Olrun roll her eyes.</p>
<p>“Give me a few minutes to get ready and have everyone that wants a lesson to meet in the gym.”</p>
<p>The two clones nodded before running off again.</p>
<p>Olrun shook her head at the two of them, smiling when her datapad pinged again. It was a message from Geirdiful, that read:<em> I may have found something.</em></p>
<p>Olrun didn’t want to get her hope up too much. There had been many times when they had thought they might have found a lead on Marie and Shay’s murder that turned out to be nothing or a dead end.</p>
<p>Then she received a message from Gondul that was a picture of a tiny kitten with the caption <em>I are Feerse!</em></p>
<p>Olrun rolled her eyes at her sister’s antics, but smiled, nonetheless.</p>
<p>She changed into a tank top and sweatpants, before grabbing her staff. She gazed at the rest of her <em>Rocstóll </em>armor but decided she didn’t need it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There were more people than she thought there’d be. They had set up a mat in the center of the floor and had moved most of the equipment out of the way. With everyone standing at attention, it was a mix of clones and regular people and Ahsoka. Fives greeted Olrun with a smile.</p>
<p>“There’s more than I thought there’d be.”</p>
<p>Fives shrugged.</p>
<p>“Have you not taught this many, before?”</p>
<p>Olrun eyed Fives and smirked.</p>
<p>“I’ve taught plenty of my students how to fight.”</p>
<p>“Students?”</p>
<p>Olrun nodded.</p>
<p>“I haven’t chosen my own personal student though.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like the Jedi.”</p>
<p>Olrun thought about it for a moment before agreeing.</p>
<p>“I suppose that’s true.”</p>
<p>“Why do you choose students?”</p>
<p>“So we have someone to pass our titles onto.”</p>
<p>“Wait, Olrun isn’t your name?”</p>
<p>Olrun looked at the man next to her.</p>
<p>“No… did you think it was?”</p>
<p>Fives rubbed the back of his neck.</p>
<p>“Yeah, kinda. What is your real name?”</p>
<p>Olrun didn’t answer but instead went to stand in front of the men and Ahsoka gathered in the gym.</p>
<p>Olrun tucked her staff under her arm and gazed across the line of people. Little Ahsoka was jumping at the bit. She felt like she was back at Fortress Ottenburg, getting ready to teach her students. It was nice to have something so familiar. Fives, Echo, Jesse, and Rex was even there.</p>
<p>“I’m Olrun. I’ll be teaching you all a few simple movements of a bo staff.”</p>
<p>As she passed by one of the civilian officers, he let out a small chuckle. She stopped in front of him and glared.</p>
<p>“Something funny?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t think I’d be getting taught by some little thing. Here I was thinking I’d be getting taught by the Jedi.”</p>
<p>Several of the clones turned to glare at him, with stunned expressions on their faces.</p>
<p>“What’s your name, officer?” she asked calmly.</p>
<p>“John Morrison, Your Highness.”</p>
<p>She let go of her staff and let it float in midair.</p>
<p>“Step forward, Morrison. Put your right foot forward.”</p>
<p>“Are we dancing? Cause I got a few moves I know you’ll like.”</p>
<p>She could sense the outrage coming from the clones and Ahsoka, she could tell they were about to say something. But before that could happen, Olrun’s fist collided with the man’s face, and he crumpled to the floor.</p>
<p>Many of the clones chuckled and cheered.</p>
<p>“Get up,” Olrun demanded gazing at the man’s writhing form. Feeling no sympathy.</p>
<p>“Actually,” Ahsoka said, coming to stand next to her. “I think you should leave.”</p>
<p>The clones agreed and two of them dragged him out of the room.</p>
<p>Olrun held out her hand and the staff came back to her hand.</p>
<p>“Anyone else have anything to say?”</p>
<p>“Just that we can’t wait to hear what you have to say!” exclaimed one of the men.</p>
<p>Olrun turned so they couldn’t see her smile or her eyes mist over.</p>
<p>“Who’s first?” she asked turning back to them.</p>
<p>All hands went up. Which also reminded her of her students, it made her smile. She realized how much she missed her home.</p>
<p>Most of the clones didn’t last long against her. With only Rex and Ahsoka lasting more than five minutes. It made her remember training with her own Master.</p>
<p>Once they had finished training, everyone wanted to go to the mess hall. Olrun was hungry too but was afraid to eat in front of the others.</p>
<p>“Ol,” Fives called to her before she was able to leave. “why don’t you come eat with us?”</p>
<p>When Olrun hesitated, Echo and Jesse started pleading with her as well.</p>
<p>“Please, Olrun? I know you’re hungry.”</p>
<p>They kept pleading with her until she finally caved.</p>
<p>“Fine. But please don’t ask any questions when it comes to what I eat.”</p>
<p>The three men exchanged looks before agreeing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Olrun felt nervous sitting in the mess hall. There were so many people, and she could feel so many eyes as she sat with Fives, Echo, and Jesse. And though, they didn’t say anything, they would eye the massive plate of fish in front of her.</p>
<p>“So anyway, I met this girl,” Jesse was saying, “she calls herself Shots—”</p>
<p>“The bartender at 79’s?” Fives asked.</p>
<p>Jesse nodded.</p>
<p>“She’s great. And I really like her.”</p>
<p>“That’s awesome.”</p>
<p>But before they could say anything else, Olrun ran from the room, hand over her mouth.</p>
<p>“What was that about?” Echo asked.</p>
<p>“I’ve no idea,” Fives said. “I think I’ll go check on her.”</p>
<p>Fives followed quickly after her, finding her running into a fresher.</p>
<p>Before he could knock on the door, he heard what sounded like retching. Quickly he when in to find her bent over the toilet seat. Fives squatted down next to her and pulled her hair out of the way and rubbed her back.</p>
<p>“You okay?”</p>
<p>“No,” she croaked.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>But she couldn’t answer before she was bent back over the toilet.</p>
<p>Fives waited patiently, fanning her.</p>
<p>Once she was finished, Fives continued to fan her, as she sat panting and drying her tears. Then he noticed a patch of skin on her arm begin to redden, dry, and crack.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>Olrun looked at him with what he could only describe as fear.</p>
<p>“Hey, why are you afraid?”</p>
<p>She shook her head.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to talk about it.”</p>
<p>Fives nodded, feeling disappointed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“C’mon, Olrun,” Anima whined for the thousandth time. “Just tell me what’s been happening.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Olrun was bent over an exposed panel, trying to get Anima ready for the underwater world of Mon Cala.</p><p>“What about that Fives fellow? He seems nice.”</p><p>“Please stop talking!”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because if you don’t even I’m unplugging you.”</p><p>“Why?” Anima whined again.</p><p>Olrun thought about the tenderness with which he would look at her. It scared her. He seemed nice, but she had made that mistake before, and she wasn’t about to make it again.</p><p>“If this is about Jada then I don’t think it will happ—”</p><p>Anima never finished because Olrun unplugged her voice controller.</p><p>“Oh no… what an unfortunate incident.”</p><p>Just then there was a knock on the side of the hull. Turning she found Fives there, looking sheepishly away from her.</p><p>“What do you want?”</p><p>“Uhh…” he shuffled his feet. “The General wants to speak to you.”</p><p>“What about?”</p><p>“He didn’t say… look, Olrun can we talk about what happened yesterday?”</p><p>Olrun stood, replacing the panel.</p><p>“What’s there to talk about?”</p><p>Fives gazed at her with an emotion she couldn’t place.</p><p>“The-the transformation, you getting sick, and that spot on your arm… what… what are you?”</p><p>“None of your concern, Fives.”</p><p>“Please, if I can help in anyway… I will. I promise.”</p><p>Olrun gave a humorless chuckle.</p><p>“If I had a credit for every time I heard those words, I’d be as wealthy as Her Excellency.”</p><p>Fives looked at her with concern.</p><p>“What do you mean? And who’s Jada?”</p><p>“Damn you Anima,” Olrun muttered under her breath. They were getting too dangerous territory. She needed to end this conversation soon.</p><p>“No one important.”</p><p>“Then why do you look like your about to cry?”</p><p>Olrun cursed.</p><p>“Please, just stop asking questions. Especially about Jada. She’s best left in the past where she belongs.”</p><p>“Did… did she hurt you?”</p><p>“<em>Enough! I don’t want to talk about this anymore!”</em></p><p>Fives finally let the subject drop.</p><p>“J-just take me to the General, please.”</p><p>Fives nodded.</p><p>They didn’t speak again until they reached the lift to take them up to the General.</p><p>“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”</p><p>“I thought we weren’t talking about this.”</p><p>“We aren’t. But I’m still sorry.”</p><p>“It was a long time ago. I don’t like talking about it.”</p><p>“If you ever did want to talk about it, I’d be willing to listen.”</p><p>Olrun turns to Fives.</p><p>“I never want to think about Jada again. The time I spent with her was my own personal hell.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Olrun.”</p><p>But the doors opened before anything else could be said.</p><p>The General spoke of his plans to help Mon Calamari and Quarren people. The meeting was brief, which Olrun was grateful for, as Fives kept giving her strange looks.</p><p>The second she was able, she made her way to her room and locking herself in there. Sliding down the door, the memories of Jada came back, unbidden to her mind’s eye.</p><p>Olrun could feel her heart beginning to race, and everything was starting to feel too claustrophobic. Tears started to run down her cheeks, as she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs.</p><p>Her tank. She needed to get to her tank. Scrambling to her feet, she pushed the door open and tried to make her way as calmly as she could to her tank.</p><p> </p><p>Fives noticed Olrun burst from her room and all but ran to the room that held her tank. Fives followed her from a distance. She didn’t look good. Not like last time she went in there, she still only had that one patch, but she looked like she’d been crying. She honestly looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.</p><p>When she entered the room, Fives stationed himself outside and diverted anyone who came to investigate the screaming.</p><p>“Fives,” Echo greeted, “whatcha doing out here?”</p><p>“Oh, just keeping an eye out for Olrun.”</p><p>“Really? Why? I didn’t think she liked you all that much.”</p><p>“Well uhh… she just asked me to do this for her.”</p><p>“Isn’t that the room we were told not to go into?”</p><p>
  <em>Echo, I really need you to stop asking questions.</em>
</p><p>“Everyone but her. Remember this was put in here for her. Why I don’t know.”</p><p>Echo nodded, before having to leave.</p><p>Fives stood there for what felt like hours until he felt the door start to open behind him. He moved out of the way, as Olrun came out.</p><p>She said nothing to him, but nodded with a small smile, and made her way back to her room.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it's short, but please bear with me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Mon Cala</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Trigger Warning. Mentions past gaslighting and rape. If you don't want to read this chapter, then I completely understand.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the few weeks since Olrun’s panic attack, she and Fives had come to an uneasy truce. Fives would not ask any questions about her past or her strange behavior. They were supposed to have already been at Mon Cala a while ago, but there had been so many Separatists attacks along the way that they had to keep getting delayed. During the attacks, the General would always ask if Olrun wanted to help, which she would decline every time. She might be their liaison to the military, but Her Excellency still wanted to stay out of the war, and she would uphold that wish. She would usually just stay in her room until someone, usually Fives, came and told her it was over.</p><p>In that time, she had begun to open up more to the clones, though she was still wary around the Master Jedi, the younger one, not so much. They still wanted her to train them in the art of the bo staff, which she was more than happy to show them. Little Ahsoka was coming along fabulously. She never got close in beating Olrun, but, much like with her own students, Olrun could see the potential in her. She would also start eating with the clones, and though she would receive strange looks from the massive amounts of fish she would eat, no one questioned her. It was nice… which made Olrun wonder how long it would last. Rex would occasionally join them, clutching at a pendant. She still had questions for him, but never asked, sensing it wasn’t the best idea.</p><p>The way the clones interacted with each other reminded her of her sisters, who she was desperately missing. Kara, who she was the closest to, would send the occasional message, and Gondul, the occasional cat picture. She wanted to speak to Geirdiful, she was always a good listener but knew it wasn’t the best idea.</p><p>There was a knock on her door one morning, as she was finishing a report to Sigrún about all that had happened in the few weeks since her message about Gondul’s attack.</p><p>The door opened, while Olrun still worked, and Fives popped his head in.</p><p>“The General asks to see you in the hangar. We’re beginning our descent to Mon Cala.”</p><p>Olrun nodded.</p><p>“I’ll be right there, thank you.”</p><p>Fives nodded and closed the door behind him.</p><p>Standing, she walked over to where her armor sat. She picked up the tiara that had the nine-pointed star of the <em>Rocstóll aff Níu </em>and put it on. She also grabbed her staff.</p><p>When she got to the hangar, most of the people were struggling into their underwater gear.</p><p>“General, you wanted to see me?”</p><p>“Yes,” he said turning to her, “I’ve heard you’ve been showing my men a few things with that,” he pointed to the staff in her hand.</p><p>“Yes, is that a problem?”</p><p>“No,” he clarified, “I was wondering if you could show me a few things as well.”</p><p>Olrun pursed her lips.</p><p>“I don’t see why not…”</p><p>The Jedi grinned.</p><p>“And another thing, we were wondering if we could use your ship to help unload some of the relief packages.”</p><p>Olrun nodded.</p><p>“Of course you can. But I fly her.”</p><p>The Jedi nodded in agreement, before flagging someone down and told them to load the last of the crates onto Anima.</p><p>Sitting in the cockpit going through the last of the preparations to descend there came a knock on the side of the wall, causing Olrun to jump and point her staff at the intruder, which turned out to be Fives and Echo. Who held out their hands in surrender.</p><p>“The General told us to ride with you!”</p><p>Olrun’s shoulders slumped, before turning to the image of Anima.</p><p>“I thought you were supposed to warn me if someone came on the ship?!”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry! I thought you found me annoying and grating!”</p><p>Olrun rolled her eyes, before going back to what she was doing.</p><p>“Have a seat,” she said gesturing with her head to the two empty seats. “And <em>you,” </em>she said to Anima, “need to do your <em>job.”</em></p><p>“Don’t talk she says! Do your job she says! Well, which is it?”</p><p>Olrun could hear chuckling behind her.</p><p>“<em>Both! </em>Now prepare for takeoff.”</p><p>Anima continued her angry mutterings as they left the Resolute and descended towards the blue planet.</p><p>Olrun stopped the ship when they were just above the water.</p><p>“Why are we stopping?” Echo asked. “This thing can go below the water, right?”</p><p>“This thing has a name?” Anima said angrily.</p><p>“Yes, it can. But I need to do something before that.”</p><p>She left the two men sitting there and went into her room aboard Anima. Stripping out of her clothes, she put on instead a robe, that she could easily take off once she was in the water. Shrinking her staff, she then clipped it to her belt, and finally, she put on a water-proof bag over her shoulder.</p><p>“Anima.”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Once I’m in the water, you can follow.”</p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>“Let the clones know I’m going in.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean she’s already going in the water?” Echo asked.</p><p>“Did I stutter?”</p><p>Fives couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>He heard a splash from the entrance of the ship and the closing of the hangar door.</p><p>“I wouldn’t worry about it, Echo.”</p><p>His brother looked at him like he was crazy.</p><p>“Beginning descent to Mon Cala City.”</p><p>The ship began to lower itself into the water, and Fives saw a flash of blue-gray scales from the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but smile. It was a short trip to meet up with the others, with Olrun following alongside them, though Echo never seemed to notice her. Though, Fives openly watched her swimming. She seemed to move effortlessly in the water like it didn’t even impede her movements in the slightest. She was beautiful.</p><p>“Arrived at the destination.”</p><p>“Thank you, Anima.”</p><p>“You are very welcome, Fives.”</p><p>If a ship could beam, Fives was pretty sure Anima would be doing just that.</p><p>Fives and Echo picked up their helmets and secured them to the rest of their suits and made their way to the entrance.</p><p>“Closing airlock doors. The crates should be coming in now,” Anima said, and sure enough, the relief crates came rolling in on a conveyor belt. “Good luck, gentlemen.”</p><p>The doors behind them shut and sealed themselves, as the hangar door opened, instantly flooding with water, and Olrun waiting for them. Fives looked over to gauge his brother’s reaction and saw nothing but shock and amazement.</p><p>Olrun swam in as soon as the room was filled and picked up one of the four crates, and swam out again, her tail brushing against Fives’ leg.</p><p>Poor Echo was still trying to piece everything together, but they had a job to do.</p><p>“You can think about it later, right now we have to unload these crates.”</p><p>That seemed to pull Echo back to the present, and he picked up a crate and followed Olrun, with Fives doing the same.</p><p>The operation was going smoothly until the wildlife showed up. Everyone was scrambling around trying to keep them from the food when they decided that the clones would be the food.</p><p>A giant shark came swimming towards Fives, who struggled to get out his weapon in the water, which seemed to be fighting against him. Just before it was upon him, something seemed to crash into it, pushing it down. An ear-piercing scream filled the water around him. The shark’s tail whipped out crashed into Fives. He could feel something crack and break, and his suit slowly started filling with water. He watched as Olrun ripped and clawed at the shark.</p><p>The last thing he saw before blacking out was Olrun coming towards him.</p><p> </p><p>Fives woke up to the sound of singing and the smell of dried herbs. Looking around he found himself back in Anima, but a part that he hadn’t seen before. It looked almost like a bedroom. Following the sounds of the singing, he found Olrun standing at a desk, herbs all around her, in only a shirt, using a mortar and pestle to grind something up.</p><p>“Ol—” but he couldn’t finish, pain radiated from his ribs.</p><p>Olrun stopped singing, and turned to him, a pleased smile on her face.</p><p>“It’s good to see you up.”</p><p>“How long…”</p><p>“Not long. About two hours.”</p><p>Fives nodded and laid his head back down and closed his eyes.</p><p>“You’re lucky to be alive. Your suit had completely filled with water, and you had a broken rib.”</p><p>“Where’s… everyone?”</p><p>“Still in Mon Cala City. I brought you here.”</p><p>She leaned over the mortar, hands cupped around her lips, and whispered something into it, which caused a faint light to form. She picked up the mortar and brought it over to Fives. Olrun helped him sit up and held it out for him.</p><p>“Here. Drink. It’ll help with the pain.”</p><p>It did. Almost instantly the pain eased but didn’t completely disappear.</p><p>“Olrun—”</p><p>“Ondina.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“My name. It’s Ondina Waters.”</p><p>“Ondina… that’s a beautiful name.”</p><p>Olrun… Ondina smiled.</p><p>“What was that song you were singing?”</p><p>“It’s called Ashes. My Master taught it to me.”</p><p>“Is she…”</p><p>“Yes, she still lives. She retired to spend more time with her family.”</p><p>“Can I—”</p><p>“… ask me about Jada?”</p><p>Fives nodded.</p><p>Ondina took a deep breath and started picking at a spot on her shirt.</p><p>“We met when we were teenagers…”</p><p>“Why are you so afraid of her? I saw you take out a shark four times your size.”</p><p>“She uhh… she wasn’t the nicest person in the galaxy.”</p><p>Fives said nothing, as she tried to collect herself.</p><p>“It didn’t start out bad… It would start off with a lie here, a lie there… She… she would make me feel like a was losing my mind…”</p><p>Fives gently took one of her hands in his and squeezed.</p><p>“She… would tell me things that I knew weren’t true… but… it was awful. I thought I was going crazy…”</p><p>“Ni ceta.”</p><p>“She would tell me things… things I <em>knew </em>she’d say, but then she’d turn around and say she didn’t say those things.”</p><p>“Ni ceta. How long were you together?”</p><p>“About two years.”</p><p>Fives wrapped an arm around her.</p><p>“It wasn’t all bad though… Sometimes it was great being with her…” Ondina wiped her eyes. “She was so confusing to me. She never hit me… even if I might have deserved it.”</p><p>“No, no, no Ondina, that’s not true. I don’t care what you’ve done. No one deserves to be hit.”</p><p>“Then… umm… she kinda… talked me into sleeping with her…”</p><p>“You mean she raped you?”</p><p>“No. She-she didn’t force me.”</p><p>Fives didn’t seem convinced and it seemed that Ondina was also trying to convince herself as well.</p><p>“Did you want to have sex with her?”</p><p>Ondina shifted uncomfortably.</p><p>“Ondina… ni ceta, and you deserve someone so much better. Is that why you're so…”</p><p>“Standoffish?”</p><p>“I wasn’t going to put it like that, but yeah.”</p><p>Ondina nodded.</p><p>Fives pulled her to him in a crushing hug.</p><p>“Ni ceta, Ondina.”</p><p>“What’s that mean?”</p><p>“It’s the sincerest form of apology in Mando’a.”</p><p>“Please…”</p><p>“I won’t tell a soul.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Gala</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jai spun around in her new dress that Her Excellency had sent her. It was beautiful, the beading was perfect, and the detachable train.</p><p>“You look beautiful, cyar’ika.”</p><p>Jai turned to Fox, who was leaning against the door frame. She smiled at him as he pushed himself from the door frame and came to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. He placed a kiss on her shoulder, then her cheek.</p><p>“Your Empress has good taste,” he commented.</p><p>Jai smiled down at the gown.</p><p>“Agreed.”</p><p>As the final touch, she put on her tiara with the nine-pointed star of the <em>Rocstóll aff Níu. </em></p><p>“Ready?” Fox asked, holding out his arm for her, which she took gratefully.</p><p>Thire and Thorn were waiting outside by the speeder, and she could feel their smiles, even though they wore their helmets.</p><p>“You look great.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>The trip to the Senate Building was a short one. When the speeder stopped, her clones got out first, and Jai started to panic with all the press and senators. Fox held out his hand to help her out of the speeder. The flashes felt nearly blinding, but Jai latched herself onto Fox as they walked in. Ignoring all the questions about the Chidori attack or Norman War Policies.</p><p>“Those people are vultures!” she exclaimed when they made it inside.</p><p>“I couldn’t agree more,” Senator Amanda said by way of greeting.</p><p>The two women shook hands.</p><p>“This place looks amazing, Panda—”</p><p>“<em>Padme</em>…”</p><p>“…Padme, you should be proud.”</p><p>“Thank you, Senator Yang. I heard about the attack the other day. Are you alright?”</p><p>Jai waved the question away.</p><p>“I’m perfectly fine, Panda—”</p><p>“<em>Padme</em>…”</p><p>“Padme.”</p><p>Panda smiled at her.</p><p>“You’re dress is beautiful. Who made it?”</p><p>Jai glanced down at it, a wave of panic going through her. She hadn’t asked Her Excellency who made the dress.</p><p>“Ummm… Her Excellency had it made for me. So I’m not really for sure.”</p><p>“Well, it’s lovely,” Senator Cheerio said, coming to stand next to Amanda.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>Then she felt her friends tense behind her. Turning, she noticed them standing at attention, before feeling another, more unpleasant presence in front of her. Turning again, she found Chancellor Palpitate smiling at her.</p><p>“So glad you could join us, Senator. I was afraid after what happened the other day, you wouldn’t want to come.”</p><p>“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”</p><p>The Chancellor and Panda left them to go up to the stage when another accidentally bumped into her. She was wearing blue.</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the blue-clad Senator.</p><p>“No need to worry. Happy accidents happen. Are you alright?”</p><p>She nodded, then she looked like she was about to be sick.</p><p>“Sorry, I need to go!”</p><p>Thorn and Thire left to join the other guards during the event, leaving Jai and Fox alone around the edges of the ballroom. Which reminded Jai a lot of life at Norma when she had to guard events just like this one.</p><p>Soon, the two guests of honor arrived: Corgi and Cherri… no, that wasn’t it. Doggo and Carin? No that’s wrong too.</p><p>“Fox,” she said, not quite turning her head to face him, “what are the two guests of honor’s names again?”</p><p>“Wolffe and the Civilian Auxiliary Commander. I’ve heard the 104th call her Civvie.”</p><p>Jai watched as Corgi and Cherri received their metals. Neither seemed to want to be here. The tension between the two could have been cut with a butter knife. They were being too obvious. Then the dancing started. She watched as the tension continued to mount between the two, thinking that they could use a little help from Rota on how to act like nothing was going on between them. It was painfully obvious.</p><p>Jai turned to look hopefully at Fox, who sadly shook his head.</p><p>“I’d love to dance with you, cyar’ika. But not here. Not with the Chancellor present.”</p><p>Jai frowned.</p><p>“But Corgi and Cherri—”</p><p>“Wolffe and Civvie.”</p><p>“Whatever. Are dancing. <em>Please?”</em></p><p>Fox shook his head again.</p><p>“I’m sorry, cyar’ika. But no.”</p><p>Jai huffed before pulling him behind a curtain.</p><p>“But <em>why? </em>I want to dance with you?”</p><p>Fox sighed, taking her hands in his own, he ran his fingers over her knuckles.</p><p>“I know. I want that too. But it’s too risky. With the way Wolffe and his Civilian are acting, I don’t want the Chancellor to think I’m getting too close and reassign me. I don’t think I could handle that.”</p><p>Jai pouted.</p><p>Fox rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer.</p><p>“We can dance when we get home? Is that fine?”</p><p>But before she could answer, the curtain they were behind was thrown open. Causing Jai and Fox to spring apart.</p><p>Corgi grew a devilish smile when he saw the two of them.</p><p>“Oh, what did we just find here, Civ.”</p><p>The small woman elbowed him.</p><p>“Sorry,” she apologized, “we were just looking for the exit to the balconies.”</p><p>Try as she might, she could not move the clone, who had rooted himself to the spot.</p><p>“I should point out that your obvious tension was obvious for all to see,” Jai laughed, putting her hands on her hips. Reveling in the way the man’s smile faded quickly, and finally allowed the woman to pull him away.</p><p>Fox cursed.</p><p>“That was too close.”</p><p>“I know,” Jai said, not really paying attention. “I want to follow them.”</p><p>“You want to do what?”</p><p>“Follow them,” she said turning to her Fox, a grin to rival his namesake plastered on her face. “Aren’t you curious?”</p><p>“Yes, but I don’t want to <em>spy</em> on them.”</p><p>“Where’s your sense of adventure, Fox?”</p><p>She didn’t need to see his face to know he was rolling his eyes. Jai didn’t wait to see if he was following her. She stood right out of view of the balcony and extended her senses to know what was going on. Fox very reluctantly came to stand next to her.</p><p>“They’re arguing.”</p><p>“Jai, I really don’t think you should be doing this.”</p><p>Jai just smiled at him.</p><p>“Oh, they’re kissing now!” Jai whispered with glee.</p><p>Fox just groaned and put his head in his hand.</p><p>“They’re arguing again. I swear they’re worse than Sigrún and her children.”</p><p>“Sigrún has kids?”</p><p>Jai nodded.</p><p>“Two sons, Maxwell and Harrison.”</p><p>Then Jai started hustling Fox away, as the couple came back out.</p><p>“You know, I think Corgi—”</p><p>“Wolffe.”</p><p>“… is just trying to push Cherri—”</p><p>“Civvie.”</p><p>“… away because he doesn’t know how to feel his feelings.”</p><p>“It wouldn’t surprise me.”</p><p>Then two clones in blue armor approached them, smiling.</p><p>“You must be Gondul,” said the one with the number five tattooed on the side of his head.</p><p>“You’re exactly like she said you’d look like,” said the other one.</p><p>“I am Gondul. Can I ask who’s asking?”</p><p>The one with the tattoo smiled.</p><p>“Olrun said to tell you hi if we saw you.”</p><p>“Olrun? Oh. You must be with the 501<sup>st</sup>.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m Fives,” he said holding out his hand.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Twos—”</p><p>“<em>Fives</em>.”</p><p>“Fives.”</p><p>Twos and the other one exchanged looks.</p><p>“Riiiight… and I’m Echo.”</p><p>Ego held out his hand, which Jai shook.</p><p>“How is Olrun doing?”</p><p>“She’s doing good?”</p><p>“Has she made any new friends? She’s always had such a problem trusting people after… well she just doesn’t make friends easily.”</p><p>The two clones stared at her like she had grown a second head.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“Has she made friends?” Jai asked again smiling.</p><p>Twos and Ego exchanged looks again.</p><p>“You two are nothing alike.”</p><p>“Like a complete one-eighty of each other.”</p><p>“She’s doing good. I’d like to think the two of us are friends. Though, she might not agree with that statement,” Twos said, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>“Wonderful,” Jai beamed at the two men.</p><p>The rest of the night passed with relative peace, with soon enough Jai was telling Fox she was ready to leave, as she had to be up early in the morning to be at a meeting of the Council of Neutral Systems.</p><p>“Of course, Senator.”</p><p>When they entered the speeder, Jai wrapped her arms around one of his and snuggled into his side and rested her head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.</p><p>“You did great, cyar’ika.”</p><p>“Thank you, Fox,” she yawned. “You still owe me a dance.”</p><p>Jai could feel her Fox’s smile.</p><p>“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”</p><p>By the time they made it home, Jai was nearly asleep, and Fox’s arm was completely numb.</p><p>“Cyar’ika,” Fox said gently, “we’re home.”</p><p>Jai got out of the speeder as Fox tried to bring feeling back to his arm. By the time they made it up to her flat, he had just about regained feeling.</p><p>Once the door was closed, Jai skipped over to her sound system and scrolled until she found the song she was looking for and pushed play.</p><p>Spinning around, a large smile on her face, and held out her hand.</p><p>“You said you’d dance with me.”</p><p>Fox removed his helmet and placed it on the counter, smiling as well.</p><p>“That I did,” he said taking her hand.</p><p>What Fox didn’t know, is the song placing was considered sacred among the Norman. It was written centuries ago, and only those who believed they found true love would dance to it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Eir</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olrun watched the message from Geirdiful with mounting dread. She had never seen the usual calm and collected Geirdiful so nervous.</p>
<p>“To the <em>Rocstóll aff Níu,” </em>she pushed her curls away, “I think I might have found something that might give us the break we need,” she whispered nervously, looking back over her shoulder. “I can’t say for sure what it is. But it’s something.”</p>
<p>The men, and Ahsoka, around her, cast their eyes on her then back on the recording.</p>
<p>Something caused her sister to jump and turn to see whatever it was. Geirdiful turned back with a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“I can’t say much more now. I think I’m being followed. I don’t think the Count trusts us that much. I will call if and when I find out more. Geirdiful out.”</p>
<p>“What was that about?” the General asked once her sister’s image disappeared. “What was she talking about? She’s working with the Separatists, isn’t she?”</p>
<p>“Hang on, Master,” Ahsoka said stepping in front of Olrun, “we don’t know everything here. Give her a chance to explain.”</p>
<p>All eyes turned to Olrun, who stood there rubbing her lip as she thought about what her sister just said. Judging how much she should tell them.</p>
<p>“She’s speaking about trying to find our late Empress and Emperor’s murderer.”</p>
<p>Whatever she was going to say, this was not what they were expecting.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“A few years ago, us Nine were called away from Norma and during that time a group of traitors snuck into the palace and murdered the Empress and Emperor in front of their three oldest daughters.”</p>
<p>“How many years ago?” Ahsoka asked, sadness written all over her face.</p>
<p>“Three. We’ve never been able to find out who did it.”</p>
<p>Before any more questions could be asked, she turned on her heels and left the room.</p>
<p>Olrun sighed, as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began to braid it. Could it really be true? Could Geirdiful really have found something that could bring closure to the people of the Empire? It seemed almost too good to be true.</p>
<p>She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t really pay attention to where her feet were taking her until Anima jolted out of her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Whatcha doin’ here?”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“You seemed to be thinking awfully hard about something.”</p>
<p>“I just got a bit of news from Geirdiful.”</p>
<p>“What kind of news?”</p>
<p>“She might have found something that might lead to Their Excellencies killers.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>She sat down and began typing in the code for Eir. She needed to talk to her sister.</p>
<p>Eir picked up almost immediately. Her bright, sunshiny face greeted her. Her pink and purple hair pulled back in a ponytail.</p>
<p>“Hi, Ondina! How are you?”</p>
<p>Olrun smiled.</p>
<p>“Good. You?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m great! One of my students managed to get a hit in today.”</p>
<p>“That’s good. Did you see the message from Geirdiful?”</p>
<p>Eir’s smile disappeared.</p>
<p>“I did. Do you think we could actually find out who did it?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I’m honest.”</p>
<p>“Well, we can’t worry about what we don’t know.”</p>
<p>Olrun smiled despite herself.</p>
<p>“I wish we all had your optimism.”</p>
<p>Eir smiled.</p>
<p>“Life is too short to always be worried about what we can’t control,” Eir smiled kindly. “Remember, Ondina, courage is not the absence of fear…”</p>
<p>“… but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”</p>
<p>“The brave may not live forever…”</p>
<p>“… but the cautious do not live at all.”</p>
<p>Eir smiled until caught her attention out of frame.</p>
<p>“<em>Hey, Georgy! </em>I told you that’s not for eating! Sorry, Ondina, I’ve got to go! Talk to you later.”</p>
<p>Olrun nodded as Eir ended the call.</p>
<p>She sat there in silence. Thinking about her sister’s words. Words she had told her over and over again after she had ended her relationship with Jada.</p>
<p>There was a knock on the side of the door. Whipping around, heart rate rising, to find only Fives, his helmet tucked under his arm.</p>
<p>“How long have you been there?”</p>
<p>“Not long. Who was that?”</p>
<p>“Eir, my sister. When did you get back?”</p>
<p>“A few minutes ago. Gondul says hi, and she wanted to know if you’re making friends.”</p>
<p>Olrun smiled. She could always count on her sisters looking out for her.</p>
<p>“Did she forget your name?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. She kept calling me Twos.”</p>
<p>Olrun was openly smiling and laughing.</p>
<p>“Is that normal?”</p>
<p>“For her? Yes. You should be so lucky she got so close. When we first met she kept calling me Oscar.”</p>
<p>Fives laughed at that.</p>
<p>“Can I sit?”</p>
<p>She nodded, and Fives came to sit right across from her.</p>
<p>“You know, Gondul is completely different from you.”</p>
<p>“Did you think we’d all be the same? You clones aren’t all the same.”</p>
<p>“Fair point.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. Sitting there watching everyone mill about outside Anima, who was being unusually quiet.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“For what?”</p>
<p>“For listening. For not blaming me. Or judging. For being my friend.”</p>
<p>She turned to him, eyes clouded over.</p>
<p>Fives’s eyebrows knitted together and took one of her hands in his and squeezed.</p>
<p>“Why would I blame you or judge you?”</p>
<p> Ondina took a deep shuttering breath, as Fives ran his thumb over her knuckles.</p>
<p>“You’d be surprised how many people blame me for how the relationship turned out.”</p>
<p>“Like who?” Fives said, suddenly angry.</p>
<p>“My people.”</p>
<p>Fives was taken aback.</p>
<p>“The Normans?”</p>
<p>Ondina shook her head.</p>
<p>“<em>My </em>people. The Merfolk of Norma.”</p>
<p>“Why would they blame you?”</p>
<p>“The Merfolk only believe in strength. They don’t believe in… in…” A knot formed in her throat, making her unable to finish.</p>
<p>“Letting someone abuse and hurt you?”</p>
<p>She nodded, staring at her hand in his.</p>
<p>“And… because she was a woman… they didn’t think I should have been able to have been… <em>hurt.”</em></p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Ondina.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>Fives squeezed her hand, but then pulled her into a hug. At first, Ondina froze, not being used to this kind of contact, but slowly she relaxed, finding it nice. Fives was so warm, and he smelled nice. She couldn’t remember the last time she was hugged, it was so nice.</p>
<p>“Why are you crying?”</p>
<p>“Because this nice. I don’t remember the last time I hugged.”</p>
<p>This only made him hug her tighter.</p>
<p>Ondina didn’t know how long they were like this, but eventually, she broke apart with a grunt of pain.</p>
<p>“What? What is it?” Fives asked looking over her.</p>
<p>She pulled up her shirt to reveal a new dried out patch on her stomach.</p>
<p>“Dammit.”</p>
<p>“What is that?”</p>
<p>“I’m starting to dry out.”</p>
<p>“Dry out?”</p>
<p>“My people can survive on the surface and water, but not for long or we’ll start to dry out. So we have to keep going back to the water.”</p>
<p>“What happens if you don’t go back to the water.”</p>
<p>Fives took her hand back into his.</p>
<p>“Our bodies start to shut down. Our bodies can’t survive for long away from the water.”</p>
<p>“Which is why you have the tank?”</p>
<p>“Which is why I have the tank, yes.”</p>
<p>“<em>Fives, where are you?” </em>came a voice from his commlink.</p>
<p>Fives took his hand away to respond to the call.</p>
<p>“What do you need?”</p>
<p>“<em>Captain Rex is looking for you</em>.”</p>
<p>“Right. I’ll be right there.”</p>
<p>He stood, and before he left he leaned over and place a gentle kiss on her hair.</p>
<p>“See you later, Ondina.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Almost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been about a month since their mission to Ryloth, and Ondina felt that the men aboard the Resolute could use a pick me up, so she had enlisted Fives’s help to cook some of the men something special. Since Ryloth, she and Fives had only grown closer, with him being the only one near her tank. They would regularly speak of the differences in their childhoods, though Ondina questioned if she could call what Fives experienced a childhood.</p><p>“What can I do?” Fives asked as Ondina unpacked the ingredients for her cheddar and bacon soda bread and her cabbage and beef soup.</p><p>“You can chop the celery and the cabbage,” she said grabbing some bowls, pot, and some flour.</p><p>“Whatcha doin’?” Anima asked.</p><p>“Making something for the boys,” Ondina said, dusting the counter with the flour.</p><p>Fives paused in chopping, looking at her with a strange expression.</p><p>Ondina began to cook the bacon, on medium heat in a sauté pan, while also preheating her oven. She didn’t need to look up to feel his eyes on her. Which didn’t make her feel uncomfortable anymore.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” she asked, setting the bacon aside to cool before chopping in small bits.</p><p>“Um. Nothing,” he said, quickly going back to chopping.</p><p>Ondina put on the ground beef for the soup.</p><p>“Watch that,” she said to Fives, while she sifted the flour, baking soda, salt, black pepper, and sugar into a large bowl and began mixing it together with her hand.</p><p>“Can I ask you something,” Fives asked, stirring the meat.</p><p>“Depends.”</p><p>“Why do you need someone to taste things for you?”</p><p>“Because I can’t.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“My species can’t eat anything that isn’t a fish product. Remember when I got sick?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I ate something that wasn’t fish.”</p><p>“So you became <em>that </em>violently ill?” Fives asked, sounding appalled.</p><p>Ondina nodded, adding the cheddar, bacon, and green onions.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Why? There’s to be sorry about? I happen to like fish.”</p><p>Fives laughed, which made Ondina smile.</p><p>The beef had finished cooking. Ondina added it to the pot, and added the celery, cabbage, garlic powder, pepper, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, water, and beef bouillon granules, and began to stir.</p><p>“Taste?”</p><p>She blew briefly on the spoon and held it out for him to try.</p><p>“That’s delicious, Dina.”</p><p>Ondina felt herself go red and reached for the buttermilk and add it to her soda bread mixture.</p><p>“Put the lid on. It needs to simmer for an hour.”</p><p>She began to mix her dough together, wanting a clean bowl.</p><p>“You’re wonderful, Dina. Where did you learn all this?”</p><p>“I just… sort of started cooking one day. My Master and I would come up with all these different recipes and we would write them down. Like this soda bread recipe.”</p><p>“What’s the difference between soda bread and regular bread?”</p><p>Ondina dusted the counter with flour before transferring her dough to the counter and began kneading the dough.</p><p>“It’s the rising agent in it. In soda bread, the rising agent is baking soda, while in regular bread it’s yeast.”</p><p>The man watched her knead the bread from over her shoulder, fascination radiating off of him.</p><p>“That’s incredible, Dina.”</p><p>Ondina didn’t think she could get much redder.</p><p>“Why are you complimenting me so much?”</p><p>Fives seemed confused by this question.</p><p>“Because you deserve them.”</p><p>Ondina formed the dough into a round loaf and transferred it to the baking sheet, and cut a cross-section into the top, and slid it into the oven, and started the second timer.</p><p>Stepping away from the oven, she pushed her hair out of the way.</p><p>“Why don’t you like me complimenting you?”</p><p>“I didn’t say that.”</p><p>“Did…?”</p><p>“No. And I don’t want to talk about it.”</p><p>Fives nodded, dropping the subject.</p><p>Whenever they strayed too close to her time with Jada, one would quickly change the subject. Ondina having made it clear she no longer wished to speak of it.</p><p>“What kind of music do you like?” he asked instead.</p><p>Ondina smiled at his diversion.</p><p>“I really love this group called Blackpink.”</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve heard of them.”</p><p>They sat down at the small table to keep an eye on the food.</p><p>“Soon after the breakup, my sisters pulled together some money and we all went to one of their concerts.” Ondina smiled at the memory. “It was such a great night.”</p><p>Fives smiled.</p><p>“I’ll have to check them out.”</p><p>“I can help out with that!” Anima exclaimed, and one of Blackpink’s songs began playing.</p><p>Ondina sighed and put her head in her hand, as Fives began to laugh.</p><p>When the song ended, Ondina looked up at her friend, who was smiling good-naturedly.</p><p>“I liked that. I can see why you like them.”</p><p>“I can play another one!” Anima said happily.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“You ruin all my fun!” Anima pouted.</p><p>Fives started laughing.</p><p>“Where did she come from?”</p><p>“Eir. She was a gift from Eir.”</p><p>“You seem really close to Eir.”</p><p>Ondina nodded.</p><p>“She and Sigrún really helped me get back on my feet after…”</p><p>“Right. That’s great! What’s Sigrún like? You talk about her a lot.”</p><p>Ondina smiled.</p><p>“She’s honestly the best. She’s kind of like the mom of the Nine.”</p><p>Fives grinned.</p><p>“She’s super tough. We have a theory going that she could take out an entire army on her own.”</p><p>“Can she come here then? I think we could use someone like that.”</p><p>Ondina giggled.</p><p>“Captain Rex is requesting entry,” Anima said.</p><p>Ondina gave her ship a confused look.</p><p>“Since when have you cared who comes and goes?”</p><p>“Since… just now?” Anima said suspiciously.</p><p>Ondina narrowed her eyes.</p><p>“Let him in.”</p><p>“Right!”</p><p>They could hear the hangar door open and Anima, very poorly, directing the Captain to where they were. She kept making him lose his way, in the tiny. To the point, when the Captain finally made it to them, Ondina had her head in her hands and Fives was howling with laughter.</p><p>The poor Captain looked so confused when he entered the kitchen.</p><p>“I think you need to get a new A.I.” was all he said.</p><p>Ondina groaned, as Fives nearly fell out of his chair laughing.</p><p>“You got here, didn’t you?” Anima said indignantly.</p><p>“What do you want, Captain?” Ondina asked, refusing to look up.</p><p>“I was wondering where Fives had gone. Some of the boys told me they’d seen him come in here. What are you doing in here?”</p><p>“I’m here as the official taste tester,” Fives said with so much pride in his voice it made Ondina blush more.</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because Di—,” Ondina kicked him,” Olrun needs a taste tester because she can’t—,” another kick, “because she wanted a second opinion. Yeah. That’s it.”</p><p>Rex looked from one to the other trying to figure out if they weren’t telling the truth.</p><p>“Well,” he said slowly, “the General said that we will be heading to Seelos.”</p><p>“Seelos? It’s deserted. Why are we going there?”</p><p>“Intel says that Separatists have been spotted on the planet.”</p><p>“Right,” Fives nodded, “when do we head out?”</p><p>“Two standard rotations.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>The Captain turned around and started to leave.</p><p>“I can show you out!” Anima said excitedly.</p><p>“No! That’s not necessary,” the Captain said quickly.</p><p>Fives started laughing.</p><p>“What’s Seelos?” Ondina said, finally looking up.</p><p>“It’s a desert planet in the Outer Rim.”</p><p>“A desert?” Ondina looked mortified.</p><p>“Yeah. Why?”</p><p>“Heat makes me dry out faster.”</p><p>“Really? You seemed fine on Ryloth.”</p><p>“Ryloth wasn’t a complete desert.”</p><p>“Fair point.”</p><p>The timer for the soda beard went off and Ondina pulled the perfectly golden-brown loaf from the oven and place it on a cooling rack.</p><p>“That looks amazing.”</p><p>Ondina smiled.</p><p>“Dinnie—”</p><p>“Don’t call me that!” Ondina screamed, causing Fives to jump in alarm.</p><p>“Okay, okay!” he said holding up his hands. “I’m sorry. Is Dina okay?”</p><p>She nodded, trying to calm her racing heart.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”</p><p>“You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one who’s apologizing.”</p><p>Fives put a tentative hand on her shoulder, and when she didn’t make any move to shake him off, he slowly turned her to face him. She was shaking like a leaf, it made Fives feel awful for calling her Dinnie.</p><p>“Ni ceta, Ondina. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>He pulled her into a loose hug, giving her an easy way out. She just stood there for the longest time, shaking. Slowly, the shaking subsided, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Ondina.”</p><p>“You didn’t know.”</p><p>“I still should have asked.”</p><p>Ondina didn’t say anything but tears slowly started to stream down her cheeks and she gently pushed Fives away, desperately trying to wipe the steady stream of tears away.</p><p>“Why… why are you so nice to me?”</p><p>Fives looked at her confused.</p><p>“Should I not be?”</p><p>“I don’t know! You hardly know me, and yet you’re so nice to me. Even when I yell at you or am horrible to you! I don’t get it!”</p><p>“Dina, I don’t care what you do. Everyone deserves to be treated like an equal.”</p><p>That only made the tears fall harder and she crumpled to the floor, with Fives following after her, and holding her gently to him.</p><p>“I just… I don’t understand!”</p><p>Fives kissed the top of her head and sat there rocking her.</p><p>“I wish… I wish I never met her!”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>After what felt like forever, Ondina slowly started to quiet down and pulled away from Fives. Her eyes red and puffy, tear stains on her cheeks.</p><p>Fives smiled gently down at her and pushed her hair out of her face and used his thumb to brush away stray tears.</p><p>“Feel a little better?”</p><p>Ondina nodded slowly, looking down at the floor.</p><p>“Dina… it’s okay to be sad and to cry sometimes.”</p><p>Ondina rested her forehead against Fives’ chest. Feeling like a weight had been lifted.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said.</p><p>“You don’t need to apologize.”</p><p>Fives made her feel safe and warm. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.</p><p>She looked up and noticed their faces were very close, and she suddenly felt very uneasy and scared.</p><p>“Can I…?”</p><p>Ondina put distance between her and Fives. He looked disappointed but didn’t say anything.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I can’t.”</p><p>Fives stood and held his hand out and helped her to her feet.</p><p>“You’ve nothing to apologize for.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Seelos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olrun gazed down at the barren planet with mounting trepidation. Having not even left the Resolute she could already feel her skin drying out.</p><p>“You okay?” Fives asked from his spot behind her.</p><p>Turning to look at him, she gave him a small smile.</p><p>“Ready to begin the descent,” Anima announced.</p><p>Olrun sighed and began to descend down to the desert planet.</p><p>The General appeared on one of her monitors.</p><p>“There’s a Separatist’s base about two klicks out from the mountain range. We’ll be landing at the base of the mountains and then making our way to the base from there.”</p><p>“Yes, sir!” the men said behind her.</p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>The General nodded and his image disappeared.</p><p>Olrun sighed, running her fingers through her hair.</p><p>“Everything alright?” Echo asked.</p><p>“Perfect!”</p><p>The descent went a lot smoother than the one of Ryloth, meaning no one tried to shoot them down. The planet was so white, it almost hurt to look at. It made her miss Norma, with all its color, and its oceans.</p><p>“Whatcha thinkin’?” Fives asked.</p><p>“That I really miss my home.”</p><p>She could feel their disappointment radiating off them.</p><p>“Does that mean you’ll be leaving us soon?”</p><p>She looked back at Fives and Echo like they were crazy.</p><p>“What? Just because I’m a little homesick doesn’t mean I’m leaving.”</p><p>She could see the relief written all over them, especially Fives.</p><p>“You can’t get rid of me that easily. Besides,” she said turning back to the window, “I was just thinking how different this planet was from my home.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“Norma is so full of color and life. It’s not so… dead.”</p><p>“What about the other four planets?”</p><p>“Almer and Serafeem are similar to Norma in a few ways.”</p><p>“And the other two?”</p><p>Olrun shrugged.</p><p>“No one knows. They’re uninhabited and considered sacred locations in Yggdrasil, so no one goes there.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“We believe it is where the Spirits reside.”</p><p>“Spirits?”</p><p>Olrun paused. She did not know how to explain her own religion to them, and she felt uncomfortable doing so.</p><p>“Umm… it’s nothing.”</p><p>“Oh, come on,” Fives whined. “Please tell us?”</p><p>They kept pestering her until she finally caved.</p><p>“Alright! We believe that the Spirit created all things and inhabit all things that they created. From the wind in the trees to the very stones of a mountain, and the living waters that sustain my people.”</p><p>There was a long pause and Olrun felt herself go red.</p><p>“Go ahead, laugh.”</p><p>“Why would we laugh?” Fives asked. “That sounds nice.”</p><p>She shot him a look before turning back around, a small smile playing on her lips.</p><p>They landed without a hitch. As she stood, she saw the clones putting on their helmets and checking their blasters.</p><p>They made their way to the hangar, and Olrun very reluctantly opened the door. The heat rushed in and every nerve in her body screamed at her to leave. Picking up her staff, Olrun tried to physic herself up before stepping out of Anima. It was so hot.</p><p>As quickly as she could, she got into the AT-TE, which was blessedly cooler than the outside.</p><p>It was quiet for a while until a loud whistling sounded and there was an explosion to their left. Olrun didn’t want to get out of the walker but knew she was probably needed more outside than in the walker. She could sense that Fives was in trouble, and left.</p><p> </p><p>Fives and his team found themselves surrounded by clankers. They quickly began firing at each other, when a silver rod came out of nowhere and impaled itself in the chest of three clankers. Ondina soon followed the staff, grabbing it and slicing through more clankers. He had never seen anything so beautiful as Dina completely ruining the group of clankers.</p><p>Unfortunately, only more clankers came after that. Fives fired several rounds while Dina tore through the tin cans. Dina slammed her hands down on the ground, sending a shock wave through the ground, and blew most of the clankers away. Dina then cried out in pain, staring at her hands.</p><p>“<em>We need help over here!” </em></p><p>“C’mon, we need to move,” Fives called.</p><p>Dina was panting at an alarming rant, but they needed to move.</p><p>They arrived in time to help Echo’s team, who were slowly being overrun by clankers. Dina again was able to help turn the tide. She was amazing to watch.</p><p>“I’m glad she’s on our side,” one of his brothers said.</p><p>“Yeah. Me too.”</p><p>But then something happened. Dina dropped her staff and crumpled to the ground. Fives rushed over to her and was shocked to hear how labored her breathing was.</p><p>“What’s the matter with her?”</p><p><em>Heat makes me dry out faster. </em>Dina’s words came back to him.</p><p>“Shit!” Fives exclaimed.</p><p>“What?” Echo asked.</p><p>“She’s not gonna last much longer if we don’t get her out of here.”</p><p>“We’re in the middle of a battle!”</p><p>“And if I don’t get her out of here, then she’ll die!”</p><p>Fives turned on his comms.</p><p>“Anima, do you come in?”</p><p>“Loud and clear, homie!”</p><p>“I need you to come to my location. Olrun’s not looking good.”</p><p>Anima cursed.</p><p>“I’ll be right there.”</p><p>She wasn’t lying. Anima was there before anyone could blink. Landing and opening the hangar door.</p><p>Fives quickly picked Dina up and ran her into the ship. Her breathing growing more and more labored with every passing second. When Fives entered Anima, he cursed. It was so cold.</p><p>“I’m sorry about the cold, but if Ondina is in as bad a shape as I think she is, then the cold will help keep her stable.”</p><p>Fives took her into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed.</p><p>“Hold on tight. I’m taking us back to the Resolute.”</p><p>The ship rumbled as it began to take off.</p><p>“I need you to take her armor off. It will help her keep cool,” Anima instructed.</p><p>Fives began to strip her of the extremely hot armor and was shocked to see all red irritated patches of skin. Much more than there had been this morning.</p><p>“Scanning vitals.”</p><p>Fives waited as Anima scanned.</p><p>“This doesn’t look good. She has at least thirty minutes until her body starts shutting down.”</p><p>Fives started panicking. It took them nearly an hour to get to the surface.</p><p>“Can you get us back to the ship in that amount of time?”</p><p>“Watch me.”</p><p>Fives nearly toppled over with Anima’s burst of speed.</p><p>“Fives, I need you to take some of her underclothes off.”</p><p>“What? No, I can’t!”</p><p>“Look, I realize you don’t want to invade her privacy, but if you don’t do this, there’s the very real chance she will die! Now, do you want that?”</p><p>Fives looked down at Dina, before groaned and started to take off her boots, to reveal more red irritated skin.</p><p>“When you get to the Resolute, take her to her tank! Stop for nothing. The code to get in is 5767.”</p><p>“5767, got it.”</p><p>Dina coughed.</p><p>“Resolute in coming.”</p><p>It was a very rough landing. But Fives barely felt it as he picked Dina up as gingerly as he could.</p><p>“GO!”</p><p>Fives ran as quickly as he could, avoiding everyone and questions that were hurled at him. While Dina’s breathing only grew worse. When he got to the lift, he hammered on the button of her floor, willing the doors to close. Which they did, agonizingly slowly. Fives couldn’t help but start to pace in the small confines of the lift, with only Dina’s continually worsening breathing to listen to.</p><p>“Why is this thing going so slow? Dina, <em>please, </em>just hold on a little longer.”</p><p>Dina began to mutter something in her native tongue, and Fives felt his heart jump into his throat.</p><p>After what felt like an eternity, the lift doors opened and Fives bolted for the tank room, trying his best to avoid running into people. He could see the door to the tank at the end of the hall. Fives came to a grinding halt in front of the door. He messed up the code the first two times, cursing himself, before finally getting it right on the third try.</p><p>The door slid open to reveal the massive tank, filled with deep blue ocean water. Fives climbed the stairs to the top of the tank as quickly as he could, while not dropping the precious woman in his arms. When he got to the top of the stairs, Fives threw Dina into the water. He watched for panic-filled seconds as she slowly floated to the bottom, until she started to twitch and writhe, and finally started to transform.</p><p>Fives watched as she swam around, a small smile playing on his lips before a pang of crushing guilt took hold of him. This had been his fault. If his unit hadn’t gotten ambushed, she never would have left the AT-TE, then she wouldn’t have dried out so quickly. He realized that he could never give her what she wanted or needed.</p><p>So he left as quickly and as quietly as he could before she could notice him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Stories of Norma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been nearly three weeks since the disastrous mission to Seelos, and though Ondina had fully recovered, she found that Fives was starting to avoid her when he could. Or when they did speak, it was very short and to the point. It made her wonder what had happened to them to turn him so cold.</p><p>Ondina found herself in an abandoned room on the Resolute, with only a few plush chairs and a steaming cup of tea in her hands, and watched the stars pass by, softly singing to herself songs that her Master had taught her so long ago. A small smile playing on her lips, despite her sadness at losing the first real friend she’d made in quite a long time.</p><p>“That sounds so sad,” a female voice said behind Ondina, causing her to jump and nearly spill her tea.</p><p>Whipping around, she found only Ahsoka, gazing at her with sadness.</p><p>“Oh. Hello, Ahsoka. What are you doing here,” Ondina asked, giving her what she hoped was a winning smile.</p><p>The young Togruta pointed to the door, “I felt a very unhappy presence. I’m sorry if I was interrupting something.”</p><p>“No. You weren’t, you can come sit if you like.”</p><p>The young girl came to sit in one of the chairs and gazed intently at the older woman.</p><p>“Why are you so sad?”</p><p>Ondina thought for a second, trying to gauge how much she should tell the young Jedi.</p><p>“I met someone who I thought really cared about me, and now I’m not so sure.”</p><p>“How come?”</p><p>“They’ve started avoiding me, and when they do interact with me, it’s not like it used to be.”</p><p>“Why? What changed?”</p><p>Ondina sighed, feeling tears begin to well up.</p><p>“I wish I knew.”</p><p>“Have you tried talking to them? Asking them why they’re avoiding you?”</p><p>Ondina sighed again, a few tears running down her cheeks.</p><p>“I’m afraid too.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>Ondina was silent for a long time before answering.</p><p>“Not a lot of good things have happened to me in my life. And I’m afraid I might have just imagined it all. Luck has never really been on my side.”</p><p>“We Jedi don’t believe in luck.”</p><p>Ondina smiled at her fierceness.</p><p>“Neither do I. But it seems that I’m just a magnet for misfortune.”</p><p>“I don’t think so. Look at all the good you’ve done since coming here.”</p><p>“Oh? Like what?”</p><p>“Teaching all of us how to fight with a staff, saving Fives on multiple occasions, killing that giant shark! Loads of things.”</p><p>Ondina smiled sadly at the girl.</p><p>“You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age.”</p><p>“Really? I do?”</p><p>Ondina nodded.</p><p>“But you're so… <em>serious. </em>I would have thought you’d have been more like Master Kenobi.”</p><p>Ondina chuckled and shook her head.</p><p>“I’m this way because of circumstances in my life. Believe me, I never wanted to turn out like this.”</p><p>“Then why don’t you change?”</p><p>Ondina smiled into her nearly empty cup.</p><p>“You make it sound so easy. My Master once told me that some of the sweetest berries grow among the sharpest thorns.”</p><p>“What were they like?”</p><p>“She was an incredibly kind woman. She always wanted to find the best in people. She believed in second chances. I guess that’s why she chose me to be her student. She must have seen something in me that I still don’t see myself.”</p><p>“What was her name?”</p><p>“I don’t actually know. She was always Master Olrun to me.”</p><p>“But I thought your name was Olrun.”</p><p>Ondina chuckled at her confusion.</p><p>“No. Olrun is a title, a rank if you will. Passed from Master to student.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“It’s tradition. Started by the original <em>Rocstóll aff Níu</em>”</p><p>“It sounds a lot like the Jedi Order.”</p><p>“I suppose it is. But with a few key differences.”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“The Nine are always female. And we’re allowed to marry and have children if we want.”</p><p>“Why always women?”</p><p>“It’s tradition. The <em>Rocstóll aff Níu </em>was founded by women, and it will be continued to be ruled by women.”</p><p>“Do you not have men in your Order?”</p><p>“We do. They just don’t become one of the Nine.”</p><p>Ahsoka stood.</p><p>“I think I should go. I have to meet my Master for some training. I think you should try talking to whoever might have hurt you. They might have a reason why.”</p><p>Ondina smiled and watched as the young Togruta left the room.</p><p>“I hope your right.”</p><p>Ondina stayed in the room for a little while longer, thinking about the man she had come to care for. Pulling on her communication device, she dialed Sigrún.</p><p>“Yes?” Sigrún asked, yawning, and rubbing her eyes.</p><p>“Did I wake you?”</p><p>“Oh, you’re fine. What’s wrong.”</p><p>“I just need someone to talk to.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“Remember that guy I was telling you about?”</p><p>“Fives?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“What about him?”</p><p>“Well… I don’t really know. He’s been avoiding me a lot lately.”</p><p>“How come?”</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“Well, what happened right before he started avoiding you?”</p><p>“I…” then it hit her. She had almost died. “I almost died.”</p><p>“Then he must blame himself. Talk to him. Communication is key.”</p><p>“I’ve tried, Sigrún. I’ve tried.”</p><p>She started crying in earnest now.</p><p>“Do you care for him?”</p><p>Ondina nodded.</p><p>“He makes me feel things that I haven’t felt in a very long time.”</p><p>“Then you need to talk to him.”</p><p>Ondina nodded, a knot forming in her throat.</p><p>“Good. Now go get some sleep. You and I both need it,” Sigrún smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Sirena Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ondina was less than thrilled to be going to the homeworld of her people. She wished she could talk to Fives about it, but he was still avoiding her like she had the Black Vein. She might be going home to the Yggdrasil Empire, but she had never felt so far away from home in her life.</p><p>“Love just talk to him,” Eir insisted through the Holocall, as Ondina paced back and forth aboard Anima.</p><p>“I’ve tried, Eir! He won’t listen! He won’t even look at me!” she cried, tears running down her cheeks.</p><p>Eir looked upon her sister with sadness. She had never seen Ondina like this. After the breakup she was inconsolable, but this was different. Ondina had never really loved… <em>Her… </em>this man was different. Eir wished she could be there to knock so sense into him. That gave her an idea.</p><p>“You’re going to Sirena, right?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Ondina mumbled, wiping her eyes.</p><p>“Well, you’d be in Yggdrasil Territory. Maybe I can come over on the pretense of trying to help stem whatever conflict they’ve got going on now.”</p><p>“Eir, I don’t know about this… Sigrún—”</p><p>“… and I agree that you and this man need to stop avoiding each other and talk about whatever happened.”</p><p>Ondina frowned but knew she was right.</p><p>“And besides,” Eir continued, “the Merpeople of Sirena would respond more favorably to having two of the Nine there. They don’t care about the Republic or its war, so they won’t respond to the Jedi or their troops.”</p><p>“You’re right. It’s just…”</p><p>“Look, sweetie, I know you’re afraid of how you’ll react to being around your people. But there’s no guarantee that you’ll feral.”</p><p>“But what if I do?”</p><p>“Then I’ll be there to stop you.”</p><p>Ondina nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve avoided her for a month now, why?”</p><p>Fives groaned before turning to face his brother. Echo stood there with his arms folded and a disapproving look on his face.</p><p>“I haven’t been avoiding her,” he said, turning back to what he was doing.</p><p>“That’s a load of bantha shit and you know it.”</p><p>“It is not,” Fives said trying to keep his voice calm.</p><p>“Oh yeah? Then why is it that every time she sees you she looks like a puppy that’s just been kicked? Or how she’s been crying to me about how you’ve been a horrible friend? Fives, she thinks she did something wrong!”</p><p>Fives shut his eyes and mentally cursed himself.</p><p>“She told me about her ex.”</p><p>Fives whipped around to see Echo’s angry face.</p><p>“What your doing sounds exactly the kind of thing that <em>bitch</em> of a woman would do to her.”</p><p>Fives stood and got in Echo’s face.</p><p>“What did you just say?”</p><p>“You heard me! You're treating her like trash!”</p><p>“I am not!”</p><p>“Yes, you are! You’ve been avoiding her when all she wants to do is talk to you!”</p><p>“I have to agree with Echo on that,” Jesse spoke up.</p><p>Fives growled at his brothers.</p><p>“Don’t get defensive! It’s your fault she’s a complete mess!”</p><p>“Line up, gentlemen,” the General said walking in, eyeing Fives and Echo, who separated but continued glaring at each other. “Everything alright?”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” they said.</p><p>“Right. Well, we’ll be finishing our jump to Sirena soon, so make such you have everything ready. We’ll also be having another one of the Nine of Yggdrasil joining us.”</p><p>“Which one?” someone asked.</p><p>“Eir. She’s a healer, apparently. Olrun has told me that everyone must be on their best behavior, as her people don’t take kindly to rudeness. She’s mentioned that they could attack anyone at the slightest provocation.”</p><p>“Even the ones sent to help drive out the Sepies?”</p><p>The General nodded.</p><p>“Apparently the Merpeople don’t care much for the Republic or the Separatists, so our presence will only be tolerated.”</p><p>The clones saluted and the General left.</p><p> </p><p>The Resolute came to stop above the blue planet, and Eir’s ship came to dock on the Resolute. Eir came bounding out and barreled into Ondina, wrapping her in a crushing hug.</p><p>“It’s good to see you,” she whispered in Ondina’s ear.</p><p>“It’s good to see you, too.”</p><p>Echo and Jesse came to stand next to the two women as they separated.</p><p>“Echo and Jesse, this is my sister Eir. Eir this is Echo and Jesse.”</p><p>The three of them shook hands.</p><p>“I like your hair,” Echo said.</p><p>“Oh thank you!”</p><p>“We should go ahead and get on board Anima,” Ondina said as Fives passed by them, her face falling.</p><p>Echo and Jesse exchanged exasperated looks with one another as they climbed aboard Anima. Ondina felt the tears begin to come but refused to let them fall. She just wanted to talk to him. Whatever she did wrong, she could fix it! She just needed to be told what she did wrong!</p><p>She felt a hand on her shoulder, thinking it might be Fives, she turned and was disappointed to find her sister gazing down at her. Eir wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed.</p><p>“I know you’re upset, but I hate to be the responsible one and tell you that you do need to pull yourself together,” she said gently. “You know better than most that your people don’t respond to this.”</p><p>Ondina took a few deep breathes and wiping her eyes, she nodded, straightening up.</p><p>“I’m going to kill Fives for this,” she heard one of the clones mutters.</p><p>“Ready to begin descent,” she said, trying to ignore her raging emotions.</p><p>Like she had when they got to Mon Cala, Ondina stopped the ship right above the surface of the water and jumped in, as Eir took over the controls.</p><p>“Tell me about this Fives?” Eir asked, looking at the two men behind her.</p><p>“Umm…”</p><p>“Is he usually this much of a jackass?”</p><p>“No. Not usually.”</p><p>“Olrun is one of the strongest people I know. She wasn’t even this distraught when… well, the less said about that time the better.”</p><p>“I’ve tried talking to him, but he won’t listen to anyone. He seems to think that staying away from her is for her own good.”</p><p>“He doesn’t get that right to make decisions for her. Olrun has been through more than most. She is perfectly capable of making her own choices.”</p><p>“Tell that to Fives,” Jesse grumbled.</p><p>“Does he not see that he’s making things worse for her?”</p><p>“He does. I just… I don’t know what he’s thinking.”</p><p>“Well, he’s about to have some sense knocked into him.”</p><p>Eir could feel the two men smile behind her.</p><p>“Is that why you came here?”</p><p>“It might.”</p><p> </p><p>Olrun waited for Eir to lower the ship to her. Filling her lungs with water before exhaling it out. From far away she could hear the familiar screeching of the Merpeople. The calls didn’t sound friendly. Eir, Echo, and Jesse exited the ship a few minutes later, followed by the arrival of the rest of the troops, along with the General and Commander. She pointedly ignored Fives’s presence, even though she wanted more than anything to go to him and ask what she did wrong.</p><p>The screeching grew closer, and Olrun turned in time to see a small group of mermaids and a single merman approach, and they didn’t appear pleased.</p><p>Olrun and Eir swam up to them.</p><p><em>“Why have you brought these people here?”</em> asked the Alpha Mermaid.</p><p><em>“Because you requested help to drive out the Separatists,” </em>Olrun replied.</p><p>
  <em>“We do not want the Republic in our territory!”</em>
</p><p><em>“Neither do we, but the Nine is stretched too thin,”</em> Eir said.</p><p>To everyone else, their conversation sounded like a series of screeching.</p><p>The Alpha eyes Olrun with suspicion.</p><p>“<em>You are not one of us.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I am. I was just born on Norma.”</em>
</p><p>The Alpha circled Olrun.</p><p>“<em>You are weak.”</em></p><p>The rest of the merfolk gathered started hissing menacingly, and when the General tried to approach she shot him a warning look before turning back to the Alpha.</p><p>“<em>And just how am I weak? I am a member of the Nine. We aren’t quite known for employing weakness.”</em></p><p><em>“You have a weak aura around you,” </em>the Alpha hissed.</p><p>Olrun hissed back.</p><p>“Olrun, what are you doing?” Eir asked in common.</p><p>Olrun and the Alpha began to stare each other down, both baring their teeth and claws.</p><p>“Olrun you can’t fight her! Listen to me! You have to back down!”</p><p>Olrun glanced at Eir, then all her dorsal fins laid back down and her stinger went limp.</p><p>
  <em>“I have not come here to fight! I don’t want your territory! I’m here to help! I was sent by Sigrún.”</em>
</p><p>This seemed to satisfy the Alpha, who nodded and gestured for them to follow. Olrun rolled her eyes and followed after her.</p><p>“She said it was okay for us to follow,” Eir called out after them to the rest.</p><p>“What was all that about?” asked a clone swimming up beside her.</p><p>Glancing at the clone, she noticed a small five tattooed on the side of his forehead. She frowned at him, believing him to be the infamous Fives.</p><p>“You must be Fives, yes?”</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>Eir frowned at him.</p><p>“Nothing that should concern you,” she said bitterly.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“Olrun tells me everything, you know.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“You’ve got a lot of nerve.”</p><p>Fives had the sense to look ashamed.</p><p>“It’s not what she thinks,” he mumbled.</p><p>“How do you know?” Eir snapped. “You’ve not spoken to her in a month. So how could you possibly know what she’s thinking?”</p><p>Fives was about to reply when everyone stopped at the sound of the high pitched territorial screech of the Merfolk.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Sirena Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What the hell was that?” Fives yelled over the screeching.</p><p>“Oh no,” Eir muttered, swimming towards the screeching. “This isn’t good!”</p><p>The troops and Eir swam as fast as they could to find Olrun and the Alpha circling each other dangerously.</p><p>“Oh no!” Eir exclaimed.</p><p>They were hissing and screeching at each other, their teeth bared, claws drawn, all their dorsal fins standing erect.</p><p>“This really isn’t good. Olrun! You need to stop!”</p><p>But Eir’s warnings fell on deaf ears as the two mermaids continued to circle each other.</p><p>“What are they doing?”</p><p>“It’s a dominance display. If neither backs down, then they start to fight!”</p><p>Fives tried to swim towards to two females, but Eir had to hold him back.</p><p>“I don’t know why you care, but if you get too close then they’ll attack you.”</p><p>Fives looked like he was about to argue when the General came up beside them.</p><p>“What’s going on?” he asked.</p><p>Eir explained what was going on.</p><p>“A few of your men can stay and make sure nothing bad happens to her. The rest of you can go where your Separatists are.”</p><p>The General looked like he was about to argue until Eir brought up the point that they were in Yggdrasil Territory, not the Republic, and therefore she outranked him.</p><p>“I’ll stay!” Fives volunteered, which made Eir glare at him.</p><p>But the General nodded.</p><p>“Men, let’s go!”</p><p>“You better make sure she doesn’t give hurt!” Eir warned before swimming off.</p><p>Fives turned back to Dina and the other mermaid, a feeling of dread settling over him as they had stopped circling each other and were just staring each other down. He remembered Dina mentioning something about her people could get violent and territorial when provoked. He decided that he would make sure she was fine when this was over then go meet up with his brothers. She still almost died because of him. He knew he should talk to her, but the images of her dying in his arms wouldn’t leave him. He could still hear her slurred mutterings if it was quiet enough. It had terrified him. The thought of losing someone he cared so much about well, it made him feel how Rex probably felt when he had to say goodbye to the Senator of Batuu. Fives admitted he missed Dina. But he couldn’t risk her getting hurt again.</p><p>So lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice that the mermaid Dina was squaring off with had broken off and was charging at him. So distracted was he that he didn’t even have time to pull out his blaster before the mermaid slashed at him with her claws. Fives swam as fast as he could, but it was nowhere close to what the mermaid could swim. She was on him in a second, her silvery-gray webbed hand wrapped around his throat. The mermaid bared her razor-sharp teeth and raised her other hand, ready to bring it down on his helmet, when something else slammed into her.</p><p>It was Ondina. The two mermaids clashed together in a tangle of teeth, claws, and tails. They ripped and clawed at each other, both drawing blood. Dina bit into the other’s shoulder, causing the other to screech. The other sank her claws into Dina’s back raking them over her gills. Fives pulled out his blaster and aimed, but didn’t know where to fire, wherever he pointed he would hit Dina.</p><p>They tangled together, ripping and tearing, curling into a ball around each other. The screeching and hissing the whole time. Then Dina quickly stabbed her stinger into the other’s side, and she ceased all movement and started sinking. The other mermaids and merman quickly gathered up the corpse and left.</p><p>“Dina,” Fives said, but she shoots him a scathing look and began to swim away. “Dina! Wait! Please!”</p><p>Her swimming was slowing considerably as she continued to lose blood, but she didn’t seem to notice or care.</p><p>“Dina, please,” he pleaded.</p><p>She rounded on him and bared her teeth. This made him pause. She was angry at him, which she had every right to be.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” was all he said, and turned around and continued towards where his brothers had gone. “You have every right to be angry with me. But can we talk later?”</p><p>She gave him a look as she slowed down to let him catch up with her. But she did nod.</p><p> </p><p>“General,” Eir said, turning to the Jedi that couldn’t have been much older than herself, “I believe that would be your Separatists.”</p><p>“I do believe you are correct. Will the natives help us?”</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“If what has occurred has come to pass, then no. Unlike the five core planets of Yggdrasil, Sirena has never been concerned with matters that don’t concern them.”</p><p>“I see. So we’re on our own.”</p><p>Eir looked offended.</p><p>“Ye of little faith, my friend! I’m still one of the Nine.”</p><p>Just then, Ondina and Fives rejoined them.</p><p>“What happened?” the General asked, looking at all the cuts and scratches on her.</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“Right,” he said drawing his lightsaber, “let’s get to work.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Reconciliation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the battle was over, Eir, Echo, and Jesse decided to go back on one of the other transports while Fives and Ondina went back to Anima. With the airlock still in place, Ondina reached down and pressed a button that emptied out all the water, leaving her splayed out of the cool metal floor as the airlock doors opened. Anima then lowered to heat lamps and directed them at her. Fives gazed down at her as he took off all his diving equipment. Her scales didn’t quite look the same as they did in the water, appearing more gold than silver.</p>
<p>Then she suddenly gasped, startling Fives, her back arching in a painful angle. He could hear several cracking sounds as she tossed her head back and started screaming in pain. Fives knelt beside her but didn’t know what to do. Her teeth started to dull back into normal human teeth, and the webbing and claws started to retreat back into her, as she gasped for breath. The once silver-gold scales began to melt and decay, leaving behind red irritated human flesh. The dorsal fin that ran nearly the length of back to her began to decay and the spines retreated into her, as she writhed in pain, her tail thrashing out and knocking stuff over. The pectoral fin began to expand, and her breasts began to fill out once again, which made Fives look away from her. There was a series of cracks as the scales around the end of her tail began to split in two, and her feet emerged from the end, followed by a lot of blood, leaving only her tail fluke as evidence that she had ever been something other than human.</p>
<p>Fives grabbed a blanket to cover her as her breathing evened out into panting.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?”</p>
<p>She nodded, hair still clinging to her face as she laid her head down.</p>
<p>“Do you hate me?” he blurted.</p>
<p>She cracked an eye open before closing it again.</p>
<p>“I should. But no,” she said breathlessly.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Dina.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Why did you start avoiding me,” she said, sitting up shakily, clutching the blanket to her.</p>
<p>“I…” He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to come up with a good excuse. “Because I was a coward.”</p>
<p>Dina just narrowed her eyes at him before standing up and shakily walking towards her room. Fives followed, feeling almost like a child. She shut the door on him, and he waited for her.</p>
<p>“That’s not a good enough excuse for treating me like that,” she said through the door.</p>
<p>“I know,” he mumbled, knowing she could hear.</p>
<p>“Then why?” she asked opening the door. She was wearing just a shirt and loose shorts.</p>
<p>“I… I don’t know. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“What happened? What did I do?”</p>
<p>“You did nothing, cyar’ika,” he said grasping her gently by the shoulders. “It was my fault. I was an idiot for ignoring you.”</p>
<p>“But why?” she pleaded.</p>
<p>“Because you almost died because of me.”</p>
<p>Her eyebrows knit together.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“When we were on Seelos, you almost died because of me… If you had died… I don’t know what I would have done. I couldn’t… the thought of you dying…”</p>
<p>“It’s not your choice though. It was <em>my</em> choice to come to help you. I knew the risks. And I still made them.”</p>
<p>“I know…”</p>
<p>“Then why?”</p>
<p>“Because I… because I…”</p>
<p>“You what?”</p>
<p>“Dina, I… you deserve someone so much better than me.”</p>
<p>Dina’s eyes started watering as he cupped the sides of her face.</p>
<p>“You deserve someone who can give you everything you deserve. Not me. I’m just a clone.”</p>
<p>“That’s not your choice though!” she cried. “I don’t want someone else! And you’re not just a clone!”</p>
<p>“Dina, I’m—”</p>
<p>But Dina seemed to have grown tired of talking, as she used all her considerable strength to throw herself at him and crushed her lips to his. Fives instantly forgot what he was going to say as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter to him.</p>
<p>“Dina,” he groaned.</p>
<p>“You don’t get to make my choices for me,” she said as their noses touched, “only I get to make them.”</p>
<p>Dina pulled him in for another kiss, which he submitted to willingly.</p>
<p>“Sorry to interrupt, but can I start to ascend?” Anima asked.</p>
<p>They pulled apart and gazed up at the ceiling.</p>
<p>“Yes, you can. Now leave us alone.”</p>
<p>They felt the ship larch as it began to ascend to the surface. But all Fives could focus on was the woman in his arms and what an idiot he’d been.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, cyar’ika.”</p>
<p>“You should be.”</p>
<p>“You smell nice,” he said stupidly, but it made her smile. Something he had missed. She smelled like seawater and lemongrass. “I missed you.”</p>
<p>“I missed you, too, you idiot.”</p>
<p>Fives pulled her in another kiss, a small noise escaping her. He tangled his fingers in her long, still dap, hair.</p>
<p>“You’re beautiful, cyar’ika.”</p>
<p>“Stop talking.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eir and Echo sat waiting for Anima to land.</p>
<p>“Do you think they were able to talk?” Eir asked, wringing her hair out.</p>
<p>“I really hope so. I don’t think I can stand much more of Fives being a stubborn idiot.”</p>
<p>“I hope so too. I’ve never seen Olrun so distraught.”</p>
<p>Just then Anima came in and landed. A few minutes later the hangar door opened and a smiling Ondina and Fives walked out. When Ondina got to Eir, she grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Echo. Who folded his arms at his brother.</p>
<p>“Did you two finally talk to each other?”</p>
<p>“You could say that.”</p>
<p>Echo narrowed his eyes at him, as Fives threw his around his brother, and his smile only grew.</p>
<p>“Boy do I have something to tell you!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, did you talk?” Eir asked as she and her sister stopped far enough away from prying ears.</p>
<p>“I kissed him,” she said blushing.</p>
<p>Eir started to squeal, before clapping a hand over her mouth, and pulled Ondina in for a hug.</p>
<p>“So, you guys worked things out?”</p>
<p>“Mmhmm.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’d love to hear all about it, but I need to go back to Norma.”</p>
<p>Ondina nodded.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A few hours later, Ondina was in her room, writing the report to send to both Sigrún and Her Excellency, when there was a knock on the door. Standing and adjusting her shirt, she went to the door. It was Fives, who smiled at her, and she happily invited him in. Once the door was closed, he pulled her in for a kiss.</p>
<p>“What were you working on?” he asked noticing the datapad and notes scattered around her desk.</p>
<p>“Just the reports for Sigrún and Her Excellency.”</p>
<p>“He raised one eyebrow.</p>
<p>“I thought only Rex and General Skywalker needed to do those.”</p>
<p>“They do. But this mission was in Yggdrasil Territory, so they will need to have a report of the events.”</p>
<p>Fives nodded, before sitting down on her bed and pulling her with him.</p>
<p>“Dina, I did have a reason for coming here,” he said tracing patterns on her arm.</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“We’ve just been notified that we’ll be having about a week of leave in a few weeks.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Dina started smiling.</p>
<p>“I was wondering if you had any big plans for that time?”</p>
<p>Dina thought for a moment, enjoying the way Fives' expression seemed to waver.</p>
<p>“Other than seeing my sister, no.”</p>
<p>Relief flooded his face.</p>
<p>“Would you want to spend leave with me?”</p>
<p>“I would love to,” she said draping her arm around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Making Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives and Ondina spent nearly every waking moment together now that they had reconciled. If anyone noticed the sudden change, no one said anything. For with they were grateful for. Dina found herself happier than she’d been in a very long time, and she found that she couldn’t wait for leave time. Fives had promised her to take her on a real date, and she couldn’t wait. It would be her first date in almost two years.</p>
<p>She and Fives along with Kix, Jesse, and Echo sat around the mess hall, talking about what they would be doing over their coming leave. With no Jedi around, Fives had his arm draped around Ondina, pulling her into his side.</p>
<p>“I plan on doing some serious drinking,” Echo announced.</p>
<p>There was a collective chuckle from the men around her.</p>
<p>“Like Fives I’ve got a date with an amazing girl that I plan on taking out,” Jesse said with a grin.</p>
<p>“Isn't that that girl you’ve been talking to a lot lately?” Kix asked.</p>
<p>Jesse nodded.</p>
<p>Kix narrowed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Please save the lecture for later,” Jesse begged.</p>
<p>Kix made a noise.</p>
<p>“Who’s the lucky lady?” Fives asked.</p>
<p>“Her name is Shots.”</p>
<p>“The bartender from 79’s?” Fives asked, eyebrows raised, and Ondina felt a slight stirring of her territorial part of her brain.</p>
<p>“Who’s Shots?”</p>
<p>“She’s a really sweet girl from Coruscant,” Jesse said with a large smile. “She owns her own seamstress shop and works at 79’s.”</p>
<p>“What’s 79’s?”</p>
<p>“It’s this bar that clones go to,” Fives explained.</p>
<p>She nodded and snuggled a bit deeper into his side, which made his grin broadened.</p>
<p>“What about you two? What are your plans?” Echo asked.</p>
<p>“Well, we plan on going to see her sister at some point,” Fives said.</p>
<p>“I didn’t know you had siblings,” Jesse said.</p>
<p>Ondina chuckled.</p>
<p>“They aren’t my biological sisters. But the other eight in the <em>Rocstóll aff Níu </em>are like my sisters.”</p>
<p>Just then, Rex came in and Fives removed his arm from around her. Though, he seemed to have noticed as he narrowed his eyes at them, also them being pressed together probably didn’t help. But Dina couldn’t find it in herself to detach herself from Fives.</p>
<p>“The General says that leave will be in one standard week,” he announced.</p>
<p>The men around her nodded.</p>
<p>“What are your plans, sir?” Echo asked.</p>
<p>Rex narrowed his eyes.</p>
<p>“Nothing that should concern you,” he snapped.</p>
<p>“Am I going to have to play babysitter again?” Jesse groaned.</p>
<p>Rex blushed slightly.</p>
<p>“No. And I don’t need a babysitter.”</p>
<p>Many of the men looked doubtful.</p>
<p>“You sure about that?”</p>
<p>“Please shut up!”</p>
<p>His men laughed at his discomfort.</p>
<p>“Rex,” Ondina spoke up, “one day would you like to join Fives and myself?”</p>
<p>Both men looked slightly stunned at Dina’s offer.</p>
<p>Rex coughed.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Olrun, but I think I will decline the offer.”</p>
<p>“Well, you’d be more than welcome to join us if you’d like.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A few hours later, Dina and Fives sat in her room, with Fives looking for hotel rooms to book, and Dina was giving herself a once over, to see if she needed to back into the water before leave.</p>
<p>“Dina,” Fives called, as she was in the fresher.</p>
<p>“Ja?”</p>
<p>“Why’d you offer Rex a chance to stay with us?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say he could share a hotel room with us, only a chance to spend one of the days with us. He’s very lonely Fives. I feel for him. I know what that loneliness feels like.”</p>
<p>Fives didn’t say anything for a while, which made her think the conversation was done.</p>
<p>“I know why he’s so lonely,” he said so quietly, she almost missed it, had it not been for her great hearing, she would have.</p>
<p>“And why is that?”</p>
<p>“Back home did you hear about the events with the Senator of Batuu?”</p>
<p>Dina thought while she started getting dressed again, satisfied that she would be fine until they got back.</p>
<p>“I think so. She was almost executed by your Separatists, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well… things between her and Rex got a bit… complicated.”</p>
<p>“You mean they started sleeping together during their time on Kamino.”</p>
<p>Fives stared, wide-eyed at her as she exited the fresher.</p>
<p>“How did you know?”</p>
<p>“Love, you think very loudly at times.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” he said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Sometimes I forget you’re a Force user. It’s still strange to me that there are those out there other than Jedi that use the Force.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not.”</p>
<p>“Take it as a compliment. You’re so different from the Jedi. For one,” he pulled her into his lap, “you aren’t afraid to feel your emotions. And I think that’s amazing. It doesn’t ever seem to hinder your abilities to use the Force.”</p>
<p>“You sound like you don’t approve of the Jedi or their ways.”</p>
<p>Fives rested his hands on her hips and shrugged.</p>
<p>“I didn’t say that. I mean, they did encourage us to be our own person after all. I just wonder what it’ll be like after the war is over. What will become of us then?”</p>
<p>“Well… no one knows what the future will hold. Not your Jedi or even us Nine. But I would like to see that future… may be with you in it?”</p>
<p>Fives broke into a huge grin.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’d like that too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. First Day of Leave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning: mentions past abuse.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dina had barely slept the night before having been too excited at the thought of the next day, which was the start of leave. Everyone seemed excited for leave to start, everyone, that is, except Rex, who seemed less than thrilled at the idea. Ondina was excited to spend some alone time with Fives and to see her sister. It had been nearly four months since she had seen Gondul.</p><p>Ondina woke early the next day, grabbing her bag, and she all but ran to the hangar deck where the rest of the crew was assembled, waiting for the transports to disembark. She found Fives standing with Echo, Jesse, Kix, and a very despondent Rex, who looked like he would rather do anything else. The men she now considered her friends greeted her with grins, hugs, and a despondent wave from Rex.</p><p>Dina felt like she was buzzing with excitement, almost like she was a teenager again, as they boarded the transport that would take them down to Coruscant. She had never seen the Capital planet before, only ever hearing about it in passing. Now she was actually seeing it with her own eyes. It was so different from Norma. Where Norma was full of natural color, Coruscant was the opposite, with everything getting its color from lights and other things. But it was still beautiful in its own way.</p><p>“It’s so beautiful!” Dina exclaimed, breathlessly.</p><p>“It is,” Fives agreed.</p><p>Glancing over, she realized he wasn’t looking at the city view, but at her. It made her blush and have butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to snuggle into his side as she had done in the mess, but the Jedi were there, so she resisted the urge.</p><p>When the transport landed, the Jedi took at different transport to the Jedi Temple, while the rest of the clones started flagging down speeders, and Fives pulled Dina into his side and wrapped his arm around her waist.</p><p>Dina stuck two fingers into her mouth and blew. Several speeders stopped in front of them, with her friends turning slowly to stare at her.</p><p>“How’d you do that?” Jesse asked.</p><p>Dina shrugged.</p><p>“It’s easy.”</p><p>She and Fives got into the first transport and waved goodbye to the others as they climbed into the other speeders. Fives again pulled Dina into his side and rested his hand on her thigh, his thumb gently rubbing circles along her thigh. She rested her head against his shoulder.</p><p>The trip to the hotel wasn’t a long one. The hotel wasn’t the fanciest, though she would have been surprised if it had been, she had seen her boys pay, it should have been a lot better given what they were doing. Maybe she could mention it to Gondul when they met up.</p><p>After they checked in, they made it to their room, which had two beds.</p><p>“Is this okay?” Fives asked rubbing his head. “If you want, I can see if I can get a separate room for you.”</p><p>She pulled him into a hug.</p><p>“It’s fine. As Eir would say ‘it’s perfectly splendid.’”</p><p>Fives smiled and pressed a kiss into her hair.</p><p>“So, question,” he said as she pulled away. “Do you want me to call you Olrun during leave? Or can I call you Dina?”</p><p>She had to think about that for a second.</p><p>“Dina is fine.”</p><p>“Even when we go to see your sister?”</p><p>Dina nodded.</p><p>“Gondul knows my real name.”</p><p>“Do you all know each other’s real name?”</p><p>“No. I only know Eir and Gondul’s real names. And no one knows what Sigrún’s real name is.”</p><p>“How do you find out each other’s real names?”</p><p>“We tell each other.”</p><p>“Why do you hide your real name?”</p><p>“It’s a way of protecting our privacy. A lot of us have personal lives outside of the Order and hiding our names is a way of protecting that. Also, it’s just tradition.”</p><p>Dina put her bag on one of the beds and pulled out some clothes and went into the fresher to change.</p><p>“Do you have any big plans for us today?” she called.</p><p>“No. I just thought we could just wander around today and let you see the city.”</p><p>She walked out wearing a big sweater, shorts, and sneakers.</p><p>“You look beautiful.”</p><p>Dina blushed, then she pouted which confused Fives.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“You! You make me feel like a teenager again, and I don’t like it!”</p><p>Fives' confusion turned into a shit-eating grin.</p><p>“Ready to go?”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>Fives held out his hand and Dina laced his fingers with his.</p><p> </p><p>Fives watched as Dina soaked up everything around her like she was a kid in a candy store, or for her, it would be like a kid at a fish market.</p><p>“Hey, can you drink caff?” Fives asked, spotting the café that Jesse had mentioned.</p><p>“Yeah, but not a lot.”</p><p>“Can I go get you something?”</p><p>She smiled and nodded.</p><p>“Okay, wait right here! I’ll be right back!”</p><p>Fives jogged into the café. He was only gone a few minutes, and when he came back Dina was gone. Looking everywhere he couldn’t find her.</p><p>“Dina? Dina!” he called.</p><p> </p><p>Ondina watched as Fives ran into the café to get them something. A few minutes passed when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, turning she saw someone she had hoped to never see again.</p><p>Jada.</p><p>Feeling panic begins to rise, she looked around frantically for somewhere to hide. Only finding a seamstress shop, she ran inside.</p><p>The attendant jumped at the slamming of the door. Ondina didn’t say anything as she hid behind a rack of clothing, her heart rate skyrocketing and her breath coming out in short pants.</p><p>The attendant came over to the crouching woman, who now had tears running down her cheeks.</p><p>“Are you okay?” the woman asked coming down to Ondina’s level.</p><p>Ondina found she couldn’t speak, her throat had closed up, so she shook her head.</p><p>“Is there anything I can do for you?”</p><p>Again, she shook her head.</p><p>“<em>Dina? Dina!” </em>she could hear Fives calling for her outside but couldn’t bring herself to move from her hiding spot.</p><p>“Is that for you?” the woman asked.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Okay, umm… just stay right here and I’ll go grab him.”</p><p>Once the woman was gone, voices from the past started to invade her mind.</p><p>
  <em>I told you I never said that! You're just making stuff up again!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why do you always mumble? You know I hate mumbling—blah, blah, blah, blah. It’s so annoying! Oh, you know I’m only teasing you!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why am I always the bad guy?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is all your fault! If you had just listened to what I said, this never would have happened!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No wonder your people abandoned you! You are weak! </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You never do anything right! </em>
</p><p>Vaguely she heard the sound of the shop door opening and voices talking.</p><p>
  <em>Your friends are lying! Why would I cheat on you? They’re just saying those things to drive us apart.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why are you always hanging out with those friends of yours? They’re nothing but trouble!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I heard them talking about you the other day. They said they only hang out with you was because they felt bad for you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No wonder the Empress and Emperor died! You're weak and horrible at your job!</em>
</p><p>She could hear Fives calling out to her but couldn’t figure out what he was saying.</p><p> </p><p>“Dina. Dina, c’mon look at me! Please!” Fives begged as Dina looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.</p><p>He turned to Shots who looked just as worried.</p><p>“Did she say anything when she ran in?”</p><p>Shots shook her head sadly.</p><p>“No, she didn’t.”</p><p>Fives cursed.</p><p>But finally, Dina looked up and seemed to register that he and Shots were there.</p><p>“<em>Fives?</em>” she said in a croaky voice.</p><p>“Hey, I’m here. What happened? I came back and you were gone.”</p><p>“I… I… I thought I saw <em>her.”</em></p><p>Fives felt all the blood drain from his face.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes… no… I don’t know,” she sobbed.</p><p>“Hey, hey that’s okay,” Fives said gently.</p><p>“I can’t breathe, Fives.”</p><p>“It’s going to be okay, baby. What’s happening?”</p><p>“It feels like I’m going pass out.”</p><p>“Concentrate on your breathing,” Shots spoke up. “Don’t worry about anything else. You're doing a good job.”</p><p>Ondina started taking deeper breathes and exhaling shakily.</p><p>“That’s good. You can get through this,” Fives encouraged. “Can you tell me what I can do?”</p><p>“Don’t leave?”</p><p>“Didn’t even think about it.”</p><p>The three of them stayed in that corner for a while, gently coaxing Ondina back from her panic attack. Finally, Ondina started calming down to the point that she could stand up.</p><p>“You okay?” he asked wiping a few stray tears.</p><p>“Yeah,” she nodded, still a bit shaky.</p><p>Fives and the woman smiled.</p><p>Ondina turned to the woman.</p><p>“I’m so sorry.”</p><p>The woman waved the apology away.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I’m Shots by the way.”</p><p>“Ondina Waters.”</p><p>They shook hands.</p><p>“Is this the bartender you told me about?”</p><p>Fives nodded.</p><p>“Thanks for your help, Shots.”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“Can we go?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, we can.”</p><p>They didn’t speak until they got back to the hotel. When they got back to the room, Ondina threw herself onto one of the beds and buried herself under the covers.</p><p>“Ondina?” Fives asked gently.</p><p>She felt the bed dip.</p><p>“Can you please talk to me?”</p><p>She rolled over, her eyes red and puffy.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Fives looked at her confused.</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“For ruining your day.”</p><p>“Dina,” he said gently, “you didn’t ruin anything.”</p><p>“I didn’t?”</p><p>It broke his heart to see her this way.</p><p>“I didn’t have anything planned for today. So you didn’t ruin anything.”</p><p>Then Dina started crying and wrapped her arms around him. Fives pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair until she settled back down.</p><p>“It’s okay to have a bad day, Dina. We can just stay in and watch something on the Holonet.”</p><p>She nodded from her spot, buried in his neck.</p><p>“Yeah? That sounds good?”</p><p>“<em>Ja</em>,” she said in her native tongue.</p><p>Pulling away from Dina he grabbed the remote and started flicking between channels. He stopped at a baking show that Dina had mentioned watching a few weeks ago.</p><p>“I love this show,” she whispered, still glued to his side.</p><p>“I remember you mentioning it a few weeks ago.”</p><p>It ended up being a relaxing evening, with them spending the night binging the baking show. With Dina falling asleep in Fives arms.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Day Two of Leave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives watched with a child-like fascination as Dina painted her toenails. After the disaster that was yesterday, they had decided to stay in for the day, but he was starting to notice that she was growing antsy. He was currently in his fatigues, and she was in a black tank top and shorts, her hair pulled back into a messy bun. He hadn’t brought up the day before, but he still had questions.</p><p>“Dina,” he said slowly from his spot on the bed.</p><p>She hummed in response.</p><p>“I was wondering if you’d like to go out tonight?” he asked.</p><p>“And where would you like to go?”</p><p>“Would you like to go out to eat?”</p><p>She briefly looked up from what she was doing, before looking back.</p><p>“Is this the date you were talking about?”</p><p>“No,” he laughed, “I have more planned for that. I just want to take you out if you want.”</p><p>She seemed to have finished painting her nails, as she screwed the cap on and started to wiggle her toes.</p><p>“I’d like that. But once my toes dry.”</p><p>Fives nodded, feeling content at the scene before him, almost not believing that probably the most beautiful woman in the galaxy was his. He couldn’t believe his luck.</p><p>“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her.</p><p>“There’s no need to apologize, cyar’ika.”</p><p>Her shoulders slumped.</p><p>“Can I ask you something?” he asked after a moment.</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“Are you sure you saw her? You didn’t seem so sure. And I’m trying to tell you what you did or didn’t see. I believe you, whatever the answer.”</p><p>She gave him a small smile.</p><p>“Honestly… I’m not sure. It… certainly looked like her. But I only saw the woman’s profile. I know that sounds crazy.”</p><p>“No, it doesn’t. And I believe you.”</p><p>“Thank you, Fives,” she smiled and held out her arms.</p><p>He was in them in an instant. She made a content noise as she snuggled into him, much like she had done the night before. Looking up, she gazed up at him with a look that made his heart twist into knots but in the best way possible.</p><p>“Fives…” she said it with a tiny smile on her lips.</p><p>He couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to those lips. Then that kiss turned into another, and another, and another, until they finally had to pull apart for air.</p><p>“Fives, you make me happy.”</p><p>A giant grin appeared on his face.</p><p>“I’m so glad, Dina.”</p><p>He pressed another kiss to her lips.</p><p> </p><p>About an hour later, Dina was pulling on her shoes, all smiles and giggles as Fives told her joke after corny joke. He was determined to keep her happy for the night.</p><p>They were able to catch a speeder to a seafood place he had looked up before they began leaving. It had gotten some really good reviews from what he had seen. He wanted to give her a good time. When they got there, it was fairly packed, but they were able to get sat after a short wait.</p><p>“So, tell me,” Fives said, as they sat down.</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>“I want to know more about your people and your traditions.”</p><p>“My people don’t have many traditions.”</p><p>“Oh sure, you do. What about when you get married?”</p><p>This made her pause, look down, and start to fidget with her fingers.</p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p>“We don’t have marriage traditions.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>She shrugged.</p><p>“We don’t usually stay with one partner for life. It’s only in very rare cases that we stay with one partner.”</p><p>“Oh, I see.”</p><p>He sounded so disappointed.</p><p>“Did I say something wrong?”</p><p>“No,” he pulled her hands into his and squeezed, “You didn’t say anything wrong.”</p><p>“Do…do you want to get married?” she asked, suddenly afraid.</p><p>“What? No! Not right now. And besides, that’s not really something I’ve thought about. How about we talk about something else?”</p><p>“How about you kiss me?” she giggled at his awkwardness.</p><p>“I can do that.”</p><p>But before he could the waitress came to take their order. Dina ordered about two dozen oysters while Fives ordered a shrimp scampi. It wasn’t too long before their food arrived.</p><p>Fives gazed in awe at the massive amount of food in front of her.</p><p>“What?” she asked, after downing at least three oysters in the span of less than three minutes.</p><p>“You seem to like those.”</p><p>“They're my favorite,” she said, eating another.</p><p>“Can I try one? I’ve never had any.”</p><p>Dina had to think about that for a moment, the part of her brain told her not to, but a larger part of her wanted to share something she loved with him.</p><p>“Of course!”</p><p>She passed one over to him and watched his confused face as he tried to figure how to eat the oyster. She watched as he struggled, a smile growing until she finally decided to take pity on him.</p><p>“Love, you just slurp it.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Then he tried to slurp it from the small end.</p><p>“No, Love. You slurp it from the other end. And don’t chew it.”</p><p>She watched with glee as his face contorted in disgust, which made her laugh.</p><p>“Ugh! That’s awful! Why do you like that?”</p><p>Dina could do nothing but laugh, as he chugged most of his water.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>She couldn’t do anything but giggle.</p><p>“Please tell me that you have other favorites?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“And what are they?”</p><p>“Scallops and octopus.”</p><p>The rest of the night went well. With Fives telling her all these terrible jokes, that made her laugh despite their awfulness. It made her realize how much easier it was being around him than it was Jada. How comfortable he made her. How he made her feel loved and safe, something she hadn’t felt in a very long, long time.</p><p>When they made it back to the hotel, she had made her decision. He was sitting on the bed, taking off his boots and she moved to sit on his lap. He looked confused as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.</p><p>“What are you doing, cyar’ika?”</p><p>“Something I want to do,” and she went to give him a kiss, but he pulled away.</p><p>“Dina, I didn’t bring you here to just have sex with you.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I don’t want to pressure you.”</p><p>“You aren’t. I want to do this.”</p><p>“Dina…”</p><p>“Fives, you make me feel safe and cared for. And…” she shrugged, struggling to find the right words, “that’s not something I’ve felt in a very long time.”</p><p>Fives still looked conflicted.</p><p>“Is… it because I’m not a virgin?”</p><p>“What? NO!” Fives pulled her flush to him and tried to reassure her. “That’s not it. And besides Dina, I do think you’re a virgin.”</p><p>“How? I’ve had sex before.”</p><p>Fives shook his head.</p><p>“No, you haven’t.”</p><p>Dina was about to protest when he spoke again.</p><p>“Sex is consensual. That’s not what you had. Right?”</p><p>Dina didn’t say anything, but her expression said it all.</p><p>“See. I don’t want to put you in that situation again. I can go try and get another hotel room, so you don’t feel that way.”</p><p>“Fives, you aren’t listening to me,” she pouted. “I want to be with you. You actually care about me. You’ve never taken advantage of me. And here I am, basically throwing myself at you, and you’re trying to convince me not to sleep with you,” her eyes started clouding over. “You mean the world to me, Love. Please…”</p><p>He still didn’t seem convinced.</p><p>“I just don’t want you to regret sleeping with a clone.”</p><p>Dina rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Are you still on that? I don’t fucking care if you’re a clone or not.”</p><p>“Dina…”</p><p>But before he could say anything else, she crashed her lips to his.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Reunion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives woke up to find Dina cuddled up next to him, her arm thrown across his chest. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her sleep, she looked so peaceful, and happy. Then he noticed something strange on her hip. He watched in fascination as a small patch on her hip began to dry out and crack. Dina made some noises in her sleep and cuddled up closer to him, and he realized that he wanted to wake up like this all the time. She began to mumble something in her native tongue in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. This felt great.</p><p>He ran a finger over the small dry patch and was amazed that it felt like a callous. That’s when he noticed that Dina’s beautiful blue eyes were open.</p><p>“Good morning, cyar’ika.”</p><p>“Good morning, Love.”</p><p>The smile on her face made his heart soar, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>“Did you sleep well?”</p><p>She nodded, her smile only growing, and he never wanted to see something more than he did that smile. He maneuvered her so she was laying on top of him, resting his hands on her hips. Fives had never seen her so happy, and he desperately wanted her to stay that happy. Dina leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.</p><p>“Dina…” he grinned.</p><p>She started drawing random patterns on his chest.</p><p>“I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?”</p><p>She shook her head, a soft small playing on her lips.</p><p>“No. I… enjoyed it. A lot. It was a lot better than…<em>before.”</em></p><p>She pressed a kiss onto one of the many dark marks that were scattered across his chest.</p><p>“What about your back?” she asked shyly.</p><p>“It’s fine,” he grinned.</p><p>She continued to draw patterns on him, a small blush forming on her cheeks.</p><p>“You’re perfect.”</p><p>Dina pressed another kiss to his lips, which turned into another and another and another…</p><p> </p><p>Dina was getting excited, today was the day that they were going to visit her sister. She was brushing out her hair, having gotten dressed a few minutes before, while Fives watched. She was singing the song her Master had taught her, in her native tongue. She was going all out for meeting her sister. She was even putting on makeup, which was going to be the first time Fives had seen her with makeup on, and it only made her more beautiful. She put down her hairbrush and turned to Fives and smiled.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>Fives pulled her into his arms and felt her melt into his arms.</p><p>“You look beautiful.”</p><p>“Thank you, Fives. Now c’mon, Love. I want you to meet my sister!” she said, tugging on his arm.</p><p>“Wow! Already meeting the family! You could at least take me to dinner first.”</p><p>Dina giggled, and he found that he loved the sound.</p><p>“Alright, alright, let’s go.”</p><p>He let her drag him to the speeder he had called a few minutes earlier. When Dina gave the address, the driver looked at them with a confused look but headed off in the direction of the Senate Apartments.</p><p>When they arrived at the apartment building, Fives paid the man, while Dina jumped out and went to input the code that her sister had given her. When Fives came over to meet her, the door buzzed, and she dragged him into the building. It made Fives feel like he was on cloud nine, seeing her so happy and excited.</p><p>Dina laced her fingers through his as they entered the lift and wrapped her other arm around his. He smiled down at her but felt a bit nervous about this. They were in the Senate Apartments. There weren’t many Senators who approved of clones having relationships, and this was technically illegal. He’d have to talk to Dina about this later. Maybe he should have talked to her about this before they left.</p><p>The doors opened, and not on the floor they wanted. Panicking, Fives extracted himself from Dina, who looked hurt, and it made him feel horrible. But he tried to convey his reasoning to her silently. She’s told him that he thinks loudly, and he was hoping his thoughts were loud enough for her to hear now.</p><p>A senator walked in and saw the two of them and narrowed his eyes at them. He eyed Fives with obvious disdain, which he ignored, being far too used to this treatment. What he didn’t like is how he eyed Dina with obvious interest.</p><p>Dina opened her mouth to say something, but the door opened again to the floor they wanted. They both exited as quickly as they could, Dina all but shoving the man out of the way, and Fives couldn’t have been prouder.</p><p>“Who was that?” Dina asked, her accent becoming thicker with irritation.</p><p>“Some Senator.”</p><p>“I don’t like him. Or his thoughts.”</p><p>“Do I even want to know?” Fives growled.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>They stopped in front of her sister’s door, and she knocked excitedly, the sleazy senator all but forgotten.</p><p>A woman about Dina’s height with long silver hair and violet eyes answered the door. She was wearing a short black dress and no shoes. She was pretty, but in Fives' opinion, not nearly as beautiful as his Dina. The two women squealed and threw themselves into each other’s arms when they saw each other.</p><p>“It’s so good to see you!” Jai said.</p><p>“It’s been so long!”</p><p>“Come in, both of you!”</p><p>Jai ushered them both into the apartment.</p><p>Fives gazed around the apartment, it was different from the other senator's home he’s been in. It didn’t so much look like a regal office away from the Senate Building, but more like a well-loved home, with stuff strewn around the place. A lot of it looked like toys.</p><p>From around the corner came Commander Fox, and Fives started panicking. He’d forgotten about Senator Yang’s protection detail.</p><p>Both women turned to look at him.</p><p>“Is everything alright, Love?” Dina asked innocently, which made Fives panic even more as Commander Fox came to stand beside the Senator.</p><p>“Ummm…”</p><p>The Senator gazed from him to the Commander before smiling. And what she did next really confused him, as she planted a kiss on the underside of his jaw.</p><p>“Lighten up, Love,” she said to Commander Fox, “I think you’re scaring him.”</p><p>“He should be,” the Commander said, glaring at Fives. “Seeing as he always causes me trouble whenever he’s planetside.”</p><p>The Senator giggled, and it sounded similar to Dina’s.</p><p>“Relax, please! He’s not going to cause trouble while he’s here,” the Senator giggled, planting another kiss on his neck.</p><p>Fives felt himself short circuit.</p><p>Now it was Dina’s turn to giggle.</p><p>“Jai and the Commander are like us, Love.”</p><p>Fives nodded, but still didn’t like the way the Commander was glaring at him.</p><p>“Come now, Fox. Play nice for today,” the Senator pouted, and this seemed to break the Commander and he relaxed.</p><p>Then there was a quiet honking noise from the other room followed by a loud thumping noise.</p><p>“What was that?” Dina asked.</p><p>The Senator smiled and left them there. She came back a few minutes later, with a tiny bunny in her arms. Fives watched as Dina cooed over the adorable creature, letting the rabbit sniff her hand before petting its small head.</p><p>“Who is this?”</p><p>“This is Wolffe!” the Senator said proudly.</p><p>Fives struggled to hold in his laughter. Glanced at the Commander, he had heard about the rivalry between the two Commanders.</p><p>The bunny began to struggle in the Senator’s arms and she promptly set the bunny down on the ground.</p><p>“Would you like to eat? I made lunch.”</p><p>Dina looked surprised by this.</p><p>“You cooked?”</p><p>The Senator rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I’ve learned to do a lot of things since coming here.”</p><p>Dina smiled, which made her sister smile.</p><p>“It good to see you smiling so much.”</p><p>The four of them sat around the table eating and talking (Fox glaring at Fives) for several hours. By the time Fives and Dina left, the sun was setting.</p><p>“Did you have a good time?” Fives asked as they got back to the hotel.</p><p>“I did,” she said throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you for taking me.”</p><p>“Of course,” he said kissing her.</p><p>Dina giggled as she pulled away.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“The look on your face when Fox walked in was priceless.”</p><p>“You knew he’d be there,” it wasn’t a question.</p><p>She nodded, smiling.</p><p>“They’ve been sleeping together for a few months now.”</p><p>“Really? The Great Commander Fox is sleeping with a Senator?”</p><p>Fives got a mischievous look on his face.</p><p>“Oh, Fives, leave them be! Jai’s like me, she hasn’t had an easy life.”</p><p>“Oh, I won’t bother her. The Commander is a different story.”</p><p>Dina rolled her eyes and pulled him down for another kiss, which he gave her happily. She tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him towards the bed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. 79s</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dina woke up the next morning to Fives drawing random patterns on her back. She smiled and snuggled further into him, greedy for his warmth. She listened to the steady beat of his heart and slowly started to drift off, that is until he started speaking.</p><p>“Good morning, cyar’ika. How did you sleep?”</p><p>“I would have slept better if you hadn’t kept waking me up.”</p><p>She felt, rather than heard his chuckle, his chest moving up and down in mirth.</p><p>“I don’t remember hearing you complain.”</p><p>She dug her fingers into his side for that. Which made him laugh out loud. He started to trail his hand he had wrapped around her waist downward, but she froze his hand before he could get very far.</p><p>“Not right now, Fives. I’m too sore from last night.”</p><p>She didn’t need the Force to know he had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. Rolling her eyes, she pushed away from him she started getting out of bed. He caught her wrist gently in his hand, but there was no real grip to it, meaning she could have got out of his grip with the slightest movement.</p><p>“Hey, did I say something to make you mad?”</p><p>“What? No. I was getting up to get a shower.”</p><p>“Oh. Can I join you?”</p><p>Dina narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips.</p><p>“Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself.”</p><p>Fives nodded vigorously, looking like he would do anything to join her. Rolling her eyes playfully, a smile growing on her lips, she gestured for him to join her. He all but leaped from the bed and dragged her to the fresher. She laughed at his eagerness as she began testing the water’s temperature. Coldwater didn’t bother her much, but she figured Fives wouldn’t care for it.</p><p>True to his word, Fives didn’t lay a hand on her, though, he did help wash her hair, and that was really nice. Once he had finished rinsing her hair, Dina turned and wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head into his chest.</p><p>“This is nice, Fives.”</p><p>He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.</p><p>“It is,” he agreed, the vibrations from his voice made her smile.</p><p>The water soon turned cold and Fives wanted to get out. Dina laughed and called him a baby. He pouted.</p><p>“I have big plans for us today,” Fives smiled.</p><p>“Oh? And what would that be?”</p><p>“I want to take you out on an actual date!”</p><p>“I thought you already had?”</p><p>Fives blinked.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“The night we first slept together.”</p><p>“Oh. Ummm… can I still take you out?”</p><p>“Of course, Love.”</p><p>“I love it when you call me that.”</p><p>“Can I take you to 79s?”</p><p>“What’s 79s? Is that that bar you keep telling me about?”</p><p>He nodded excitedly.</p><p>“You can drink right?”</p><p>“Not a lot, but yes. I can’t have more than three, maybe.”</p><p> </p><p>A few hours later Fives and Dina walked into the bar, where most of the people there were clones, a few of them weren’t. At the bar sat Jesse, Echo, and Rex, who seemed like he had been drinking for a while. They all, minus Rex, cheered when they saw the couple. Shots, the girl from the shop, was behind the bar waved at them.</p><p>“Hey, you guys finally came,” Echo greeted, holding up his glass.</p><p>“Yeah, about time ya’ll got out of bed,” Jesse smirked.</p><p>Echo got up and gave Dina his seat.</p><p>Fives glared at his brother.</p><p>“You know the walls of your hotel room are thin, and you are really loud.”</p><p>“Jesse,” Shots said, “leave them be.”</p><p>Dina felt herself go red, feeling so embarrassed.</p><p>“Not that this surprises me,” Jesse went on, “Olrun has had you wrapped around her finger from day one.”</p><p>Shots rolled her eyes and turned to Dina and smiled sympathetically.</p><p>“Have I missed something?” she asked.</p><p>“It’s a long story. Do you want anything to drink?”</p><p>“Could I have a Bellini?”</p><p>Shots nodded and started making her drinks as the boys continued to argue.</p><p>“So how have you been?” Shots asked.</p><p>“I’ve been good, as you can hear.”</p><p>Shots chuckled.</p><p>“I’ve been worried about you.”</p><p>Dina smiled at her, grateful for her kindness.</p><p>“I’m fine. Thank you.”</p><p>She set the drink in front of her and smiled.</p><p>“Can I ask what happened?”</p><p>“I thought I saw my ex-girlfriend.”</p><p>“Really? I’ve had exes and never had such a bad reaction to seeing them. Why did you have such a horrible reaction to seeing her?”</p><p>“I umm… it didn’t end well.”</p><p>Shots nodded.</p><p>“Oh, will you leave me and Dina alone!” Fives yelled.</p><p>The two women finally turned their attention back to the bickering men.</p><p>“All I’m saying is that Olrun is way out of your league,” Jesse said, smirking.</p><p>“Is this ‘cause I was pulling your leg about you and Shots?” Fives asked.</p><p>Jesse grinned.</p><p>“Could we maybe talk about something else?” Dina asked.</p><p>Fives and Jesse glared at each other, but they thankfully ended the conversation. Fives turned to Dina and wrapped his arm on the back of her chair and ordered a drink. Dina pulled out her money, and realized, with dread that she only had Yggdrasil Coin. She turned to Fives and pulled him down to whisper in his ear.</p><p>“Fives, I haven’t exchanged my money for Republican Credits. I don’t know if it’s good.”</p><p>Fives pulled Shots aside whispered to her the situation. She smiled and nodded.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Olrun, Yggdrasil Coin is good here. I’ll just need to look up the exchange rate.”</p><p>Dina gave her a relieved smile. Fives pressed a kiss to her temple. She nursed her drink as Fives down several shots in a row. She gazed down at Rex, sensing the overwhelming sense of grief coming from him.</p><p>“Love, what’s wrong with Rex?”</p><p>Fives paused and gazed at the Captain with pity.</p><p>“He had a woman like you, and he had to cut ties with her. He’s never gotten over her.”</p><p>“Like me? What do you mean?”</p><p>“A fighter. A survivor.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>They were there for a few hours, talking and drinking, Dina had just started her second drink, a cosmos when Fives told her he needed to go to the bathroom. She gave him a kiss before he left and told him to hurry back.</p><p>He was gone only a few moments when some guys came up to her and surrounded her. She looked around at the men leering at her from both sides. She didn’t like the way they were looking at her. She suddenly didn’t feel comfortable in the outfit she had picked out for Fives. It was a low-cut black dress that came down to her mid-thigh. She wanted to show off for Fives, now she felt exposed.</p><p>“Hey, baby,” one of them said, trying to put his arm around her, which she shrugged off.</p><p>“What are you doing wasting your time with those clones?” another asked, giving her what he assumed was a winning smile.</p><p>“Ummm… <em>Ég tala ekki algengt,”</em> she said, hoping that this would deter them. If anything, it seemed to egg them on.</p><p>“Oh, she doesn’t speak common! Maybe that means we wouldn’t have to pay!”</p><p>Dina felt mortified, the drinks around her began to boil and shake, several bottles fell off the shelf and shattered on the ground.</p><p>“<em>Gerðu það, láttu mig vera.”</em></p><p>Then they began to touch her, and she felt like her heart was about to explode. But then one of them was pulled off her, and she turned to find Fives, Jesse, and Echo beating the crap out of the jerks. Then they dragged them out of the bar. When Fives came back he looked so furious, but he wrapped her gently in his arms.</p><p>“I’m sorry, cyar’ika.”</p><p>She didn’t say anything, just sat there shaking like a leaf. She hated that.</p><p>“Hey, Olrun,” Shots said after cleaning up all the spilled liquid, “you alright?”</p><p>She nodded but wouldn’t let Fives leave her side.</p><p>“I’m sorry about the drinks.”</p><p>Shots waved her apology away.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>“Do you want to go?” Fives asked.</p><p>She shook her head, despite what had happened she didn’t want to go yet.</p><p>Fives nodded, then she pulled him down for a quick kiss.</p><p>They stayed for a few more hours before they decided to leave, with Echo shouting after them to use protection.</p><p>They made it back to the hotel and Dina collapsed on the bed, and Fives laid down next to her and pulled her into his side.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Last Day of Leave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To all my readers, please don't be afraid of commenting. I'd love any and all comments. Unless your mean.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rest of the leave was spent mostly in the hotel room. They didn’t want to leave the room, but it was the last day of leave, and they had been going to have to leave soon. Dina was laying on Fives, tracing patterns on his chest, while he did the same on her hip.</p><p>“I don’t want to leave,” she said pressing her cheek to his heart.</p><p>“I know. I don’t want to either.”</p><p>She moved her head to rest her chin on his chest.</p><p>“What about when we go back to the Resolute?”</p><p>“What about it?”</p><p>“Does this change anything?”</p><p>“Only if you want it to. Do you want it too?” Fives asked, trying to hide the hope from his voice.</p><p>Dina couldn’t help but giggle.</p><p>“We’ve spent the last week doing nearly nothing but having sex, and you think that changes nothing? No, what I mean is… I like waking up next to you. I don’t want that to change. Do you think there is a way for this to stay the same?”</p><p>Fives stopped and thought about that, humming softly to himself.</p><p>“I don’t see why not.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah. We’d just have to be a little careful around the General and Commander.”</p><p>Dina nodded, then she leaned up and kissed Fives.</p><p>“Now,” he said once she had pulled away, “I think we should get dressed. We do need to leave soon.”</p><p>Ondina sighed before moving away from him, and threw off the covers, and stood up. Fives stood as well and pulled her in for a kiss. Dina pushed him away and picked up her clothes and went to the fresher. She came out a few minutes later wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants, while Fives was still putting on his armor.</p><p>“Here, let me help,” she said, smiling and coming over to help. It took them a few more minutes for them to get Fives’ complete armor on. Fives put his helmet on and laced his fingers with hers and picked up their bags.</p><p>“Oh, wait! Before we go, I got you something,” he said setting down his bag and unzipping it.</p><p>He pulled out a black hoodie and held it out to her. She took it from his hands and turned it over and gasped. In the center was the logo of BlackPink. She looked up at Fives, her eyes watery.</p><p>“I remembered you saying that you liked them. I found this in a shop and thought of you. I hope you like it.”</p><p>“Fives,” Dina said breathlessly, “I love it.”</p><p>She quickly put it on, and her smile shined like the stars.</p><p>“Thank you, Love.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, cyar’ika. Do you have something like that back home?”</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“I have a few T-shirts, but not anything like this. I love it. Thank you.”</p><p>Fives grinned and relaced his fingers with hers.</p><p> </p><p>They arrived back aboard the Resolute, everyone was going about their business, trying to get everything ready for takeoff.</p><p>“Do you know where we’ll be going next?”</p><p>Fives shook his head.</p><p>Ondina pulled him towards the lift and pressed the button for her floor.</p><p>“Do you need to go back to the water?”</p><p>“No. I’m still good for a few weeks. I was going to my room. You can put your stuff in there, and anything else you might have. You can put it there.”</p><p>Fives smiled down at her. They didn’t speak much as they listened to the soft beeping of the changing of the floors until there was a soft ping and the doors opened. Fives let go of Ondina’s hand as she walked towards her… or <em>their</em> room. He watched as she inputted the code of the room and the door opened.</p><p>Fives had been in this room at least a dozen times, but this felt different, it was his room too, now. Dina started putting away her things, as Fives continued to gaze around the room, not sure of what to do.</p><p>“Here, Love,” Dina said, motioning to him, “come put your stuff in here.”</p><p>What little stuff he did have, he put it in the wardrobe. As Ondina watched him, a thoughtful expression on her face.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“I think you need more things. Like regular clothes, and things like that.”</p><p>Fives just shrugged.</p><p>“I don’t really think that’s allowed, cyar’ika.”</p><p>“Well, I don’t care. You should have the things that others have. You’re a person, same as anyone else. You should be able to have normal things. You shouldn’t have to be <em>allowed </em>to feel normal.”</p><p>Fives pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug.</p><p>“Thank you, Dina.”</p><p>“You’re welcome. But… you’re squeezing me too tight.”</p><p>“Sorry,” he said releasing her.</p><p>She smiled as she took a deep breath.</p><p>“It’s okay. But… it just amazes me, how little you are allowed.”</p><p>Fives shrugged.</p><p>“It is what it is.”</p><p>“But it shouldn’t. You risk your lives for these people! You should get paid more,” Dina started listing things out on her fingers, “be able to have public relationships, have normal clothes, have homes, have families, have all these things that most take for granted.”</p><p>Fives smiled at her.</p><p>“You sound a lot like Cuyan.”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“She’s the Chairwoman of the Clone Commission. I think you two would get along.”</p><p>“Oh. Is she a friend?”</p><p>“She is. She’s a really good friend. Next to you, that is.”</p><p>That got a cute, blushing smile from her.</p><p>“How in the hell did I get so lucky?”</p><p>“I could say the same.”</p><p>Fives pulled her in for another hug.</p><p>“Maybe I could talk to Jai about joining the Clone Commission.”</p><p>“That would be nice.”</p><p>“I also think you would like Yggdrasil. We don’t have rules like these.”</p><p>“Maybe we could go there after the war.”</p><p>Dina hummed contentedly.</p><p>“Right,” Fives said pulling away, “while I’d love to stay. But I do have some work to do. I’ll be back in a bit.”</p><p>Dina nodded.</p><p>“I think I’ll call Jai and see about the Clone Commission position.”</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Shinies and Stories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ondina sat at her desk, she had been going over the damn recording for hours, but she was no closer to discovery than when she started. She groaned and put her head down on her desk, and started rolling it around, wanting to get rid of her headache. She knew who this was. Sigrún knew who this was. But they just couldn’t place who it was. Ondina started pulling at her hair, as she huffed and puffed. Why was this so hard?</p><p>The soft sound of a cup being set next to her head made her lookup. There was a new cup of caff sitting on her desk, and the other cups, that littered her desk, were being cleared away. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at Fives, who smiled back.</p><p>“Any luck?”</p><p>She huffed.</p><p>“I wish. I feel like time travel would be an easier task.”</p><p>Fives chuckled softly.</p><p>“Why don’t you take a break? Come join the rest of us for a bite to eat. We just got in a new group of shinies in.”</p><p>She eyed her caff, going back and forth on whether or not she should join them. She was hungry, and she was starting to feel woozy from all the caff she had drunk.</p><p>“A break could do you some good. And you need to eat,” he said, rubbing her shoulders.</p><p>Dina huffed, before agreeing.</p><p>“That’s my girl!” Fives cheered.</p><p>Dina groaned as her muscles screamed in protest from having been in the same position for hours on end. Several of her joints popped, loud enough for Fives to hear and cringed.</p><p>“You’ve been working too long, cyar’ika.”</p><p>“I know. You sound like Sigrún. I just want to find out who this is. I know I know <em>who</em> this is!” she said pointing at the figure. “But… I just can’t figure out who.”</p><p>“Cyar’ika, you’re running yourself ragged. Maybe a break will help.”</p><p>“You’re right.”</p><p>Fives grinned and took her hand and pulled her towards the lift doors. He pushed the button for the mess hall and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She yawned and rested her head against his shoulder. When the doors opened, Fives let his hand fall from her shoulders and grabbed her hand again.</p><p>The mess hall was extremely busy, Fives wasn’t wrong, they had gotten new shinies and a lot of them. Fives told Dina that she could go and sit with the others and he would get her food. Dina felt all warm and fuzzy inside when he said that. She had gotten so lucky in finding him. She sat down next to Echo and Jesse, who passed her a cup of caff, which she declined, saying that she had had too much already.</p><p>Jesse shrugged and said, “More for me.”</p><p>Fives arrived a few minutes later, carrying two trays, one with the regular food that the mess served and one with nothing but fish. Fives handed her the one with fish and sat down next to her. Soon, Rex and Kix joined them.</p><p>Dina picked up a piece of salmon and popped it into her mouth. Humming happily as she ate. Listening as her friends talked around her, feeling more content than she had in a very long time.</p><p>“Hey Olrun,” Jesse spoke up.</p><p>She raised an eyebrow to show that she was listening.</p><p>“Do you think you could make us something else? Your cooking is so much better than the cooks here, no offense to our brothers.”</p><p>Dina smiled.</p><p>“No, I don’t mind. In fact, I’d love to!”</p><p>Her friends cheered, which made her laugh. They continued talking for a while before one of the new clones nervously approached them. He still had the standard haircut but had a small teardrop under his left eye.</p><p>“C-can I sit here?”</p><p>The other clones looked at each other and seemed to be deliberating on whether or not they were going to let the poor man join them. Dina rolled her eyes, and shoved Fives over and moved over herself, and patted the seat next to her.</p><p>“Of course you can…?”</p><p>“Uh, CT-5385,” he said sitting down next to her.</p><p>Fives scoffed and rolled his eyes, and Dina elbowed him.</p><p>“She meant what’s your name, brother?”</p><p>“T-Tup, sir.”</p><p>“Well, Tup,” Echo said leaning over, “that’s Olrun, our liaison from Yggdrasil.”</p><p>The boy immediately straightened and looked slightly horrified. Dina and Rex sighed.</p><p>“Oh, leave him alone, you two!” Dina scolded.</p><p>Fives and Echo started cackling.</p><p>“You heard the Misses, Fives! Behave!” Jesse mocked.</p><p>The poor man didn’t stay long, once he had finished eating, he left as quickly as he could.</p><p>“You know, I think you two were being quite rude to the poor man,” Ondina scolded Fives and Echo, who simply shrugged.</p><p>Rex and Kix stood to go, but not before agreeing with her. Jesse moved to where Rex had been sitting, which was across from Dina.</p><p>“And why shouldn’t we be hard on the shinies?” he asked.</p><p>“Because it’s both rude and might invite the <em>Mykr</em>.”</p><p>The three men stopped and looked at her with confusion.</p><p>“What’s the <em>Mykr?”</em> Fives asked.</p><p>Dina sighed, realizing she would have to do some explaining.</p><p>“There are two tribes of Spirits that we believe in. The <em>Kyda</em>, or Tribe of Light, are led by the Malahari, and the <em>Mykr, </em>or Tribe of Darkness, are led by the Other.”</p><p>“Oh? And what would the <em>Mykr </em>do if we don’t stop misbehaving? Take our blasters away?” Echo joked.</p><p>“No. They will drag you down into the depths of the Underworld, to the coldest depths and no amount of begging will convince them to return you.”</p><p>The men around her stared, slack-jawed at her.</p><p>“Damn. I just thought I’d get one of those stories they tell children to make them behave.”</p><p>“What’s something else from your home?” Fives asked curiously.</p><p>“If you ever get to visit Norma, you might get to see Jörmungandr, the World Serpent.”</p><p>“Is he one of your Spirits?”</p><p>“No. Jörmungandr is the guardian of Norma. He protects us.”</p><p>“What else?”</p><p>Dina smiled at their enthusiasm for her culture.</p><p>“Legend says that the <em>Kyda</em> and <em>Mykr</em> Tribes clashed in a Great War that nearly destroyed the Yggdrasil Tree. For centuries, tensions were simmering between the two Tribes. The evil <em>Mykr, </em>and the <em>Kyda</em>, known for their connection to magic and creation. Phoenix, one of <em>Kyda’s </em>most revered leaders, attempted an act of diplomacy, traveling to the World of Darkness to teach the <em>Mykr </em>the way of light and harvest, with a spell that could feed all the <em>Mykr. </em>The <em>Mykr </em>were taken by Phoenix’s charm and were ecstatic with the new power of harvest. But such spells always have a downside, and when the <em>Mkyr </em>attempted the spells themselves found that everything withered and died, and they weren’t about to blame themselves when things went wrong. Instead, the conniving <em>Mkyr </em>cast their blame on Phoenix. Furious at the unpredictable magic, they tortured and even attempted to kill them, causing the sun to wither and go out. But the <em>Kyda </em>Spirit wouldn’t be outsmarted so easily. They escaped and fled back home to Lix. The <em>Kyda </em>were incredulous with anger at what had happened. They swore revenge against <em>Mykr, </em>and thus began the first and most barbarous was between the Spirits.”</p><p>“What else happened?” the clones gazed excitedly around her.</p><p>“You’ll have to wait and see. I’ll tell you more later.”</p><p>They groaned and rolled their eyes.</p><p>Dina stood, along with Fives, and went back to her desk.</p><p>“Dina, you should tell more stories like that! That was awesome!”</p><p>“Really? You think so?”</p><p>Fives nodded vigorously.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>They made it back to her room, and when Fives closed the door, it knocked down the one thing she wished for no one to find. It landed at Fives’ feet. He picked up the tiny stuffed animal and turned it over, curiously, in his hands.</p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>Ondina felt herself go red.</p><p>“I-it’s nothing, Fives! Give it back!”</p><p>When she lunged for it, Fives held it out of her reach, a grin now on his face.</p><p>“What is it, cyar’ika? It’s obviously something you don’t want me to find.”</p><p>“Please, Fives! Give it back!”</p><p>“Not until you tell me what this is!”</p><p>“Fine! It’s called a Totoro! It’s from a movie I saw as a kid!”</p><p>Dina wished the ground would open up and swallow her.</p><p>Fives laughed and set Totoro down and cupped her face.</p><p>“No need to be embarrassed, Dina. I think it’s cute.”</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. New Hair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives woke up in the morning, to find Dina had bleached her hair during the night, instead of her natural brown hair, she now had bleached blonde hair, and Fives loved it. He twirled a lock around his finger and smiled. She stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake. Fives let go of her hair and pulled her in close, watching as she slept soundly. It made him unbelievably happy to see her so at peace. He didn’t know what time it was, so he laid back down and closed his eyes.</p><p>He woke up a few hours later to the sound of their alarm going off. Dina stretched and groaned, before opening her eyes and turned off the alarm. He smiled watching her go about her morning routine.</p><p>“I love the new hair,” he said, lounging on the bed.</p><p>She smiled.</p><p>“I thought it was time for a change. So you like it?”</p><p>“I love it, cyar’ika.”</p><p>She opened her wardrobe and pulled out a small box and came back over to the bed. Crawled over to him and handed it to him.</p><p>“What’s this?”</p><p>“Open it.”</p><p>He pulled it open, and his mouth fell open, as he pulled out a beautiful blue and gold watch.</p><p>“What is this?” he asked breathlessly.</p><p>“A gift.”</p><p>“Why did you give this to me?”</p><p>“Because I wanted to.”</p><p>“Thank you, cyare,” he said pulling her into a hug. “It’s beautiful.”</p><p>“I told you, you needed your own things. I saw this and thought of you, Love.”</p><p>He leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled away, he couldn’t help but smile as he brushed away her now blonde hair out of her face.</p><p>“How did I get so lucky?”</p><p>“I could ask you the same thing.”</p><p>Fives set the watch to the side and pulled her in for another kiss when there was a knock on the door.</p><p>“Will you two lovebirds get up?” It was Echo.</p><p>“We’ll be out in a minute.”</p><p>Ondina and Fives got out of bed and started getting dressed, Dina, finishing a lot quicker than he did.</p><p>“Hey, you put makeup on today!”</p><p>“Is it bad?”</p><p>“No,” he smiled, shaking his head, “I love it. But don’t feel like you have to for me.”</p><p>“I’m not. I just wanted to.”</p><p>He kissed her temple.</p><p>“You look beautiful.”</p><p>They walked out of the room to a very annoyed Echo, who scowled and gestured for them to follow him.</p><p>“We just got orders that we’ll be going to the planet Ando Prime with the 212<sup>th</sup>.”</p><p>“Ando Prime? Where’s that?” Ondina asked.</p><p>“It’s in the Mid Rim. It’s an ice planet.”</p><p>“And it’s being attacked by the Seppies?”</p><p>Echo nodded.</p><p>“It seems that way.”</p><p>“It’s not going to bother you is it?” Fives asked.</p><p>“No. Cold doesn’t bother me as much as the heat.”</p><p>Fives relaxed and gave her a relieved smile.</p><p>“Also, I love the hair,” Echo said.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>They made it to the bridge where Skywalker, Tano, and Rex were there around the terminal, battle plans all around. Tano smiled when she saw the three of them.</p><p>“I love your new hair!”</p><p>“Thank you, Ahsoka.”</p><p>The meeting was long and a bit boring while they went over the coming battle plans. The 501<sup>st</sup> had some of the most complicated battle plans she had ever seen. They made almost no sense to her. But they seemed to make sense to the others around her.</p><p>“The 212<sup>th</sup> is approaching,” someone said over the intercom.</p><p>“Wonderful, let’s go greet Obi-Wan and his new general.”</p><p>Fives grabbed Dina’s hand as they walked to the lift. Ondina shot him a worried look, and he only grinned.</p><p>When they made it to the bridge, the transport ship was touching down. When the ramp lowered, several clones and an older man and a woman around Dina’s age exited last. She assumed the man was the famous Obi-Wan Kenobi, though she didn’t know who the woman was. Fives squeezed her hand and left to join the new clones. Obi-Wan and the woman approached the other Jedi and Dina. The two men shook hands, and the women hugged each other, they obviously knew each other.</p><p>Once they had exchanged pleasantries, Skywalker introduced Dina to the two other Jedi. The young woman introduced herself but told Ondina to call her Queenie.</p><p>“I’m Olrun. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” They shook hands. “Are you Kenobi’s Padawan?”</p><p>The woman chuckled.</p><p>“No, I’m a Jedi Knight.”</p><p>“Oh!” Ondina felt herself go red.</p><p>“No need to be embarrassed. Master Kenobi told me that you aren’t from the Republic.”</p><p>“I’m not,” she laughed. “So, how are you and Kenobi working together?”</p><p>“Oh, Master Kenobi brought me on so his men would have someone to rely on more. Someone not attached to the Jedi Council.”</p><p>“I see,” Dina nodded.</p><p>The Jedi Masters and Tano left the two women to talk as they made their way over to the clones. Fives grinned mischievously as the women came over to them, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.</p><p>“Hello, General Queenie,” he greeted.</p><p>“Hello…”</p><p>“Fives,” Dina whispered.</p><p>“Fives,” Queenie finished.</p><p>She noticed Cody had a deep blush on his face. They talked for a while until Dina got a great idea. She turned to Fives, Echo, Rex, and Cody, arguably some of the closest of the brothers she met.</p><p>“I think we should take a picture of this moment!”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Echo asked.</p><p>“The four of you are so close! I want to take a picture of you all! Something to remember this moment.”</p><p>“Do you really want to?” Fives asked.</p><p>Dina nodded, then she ran to get a camera. She dug through some of the equipment until she found a camera and raced back. Smiling, she held it up gesturing for the clones to move together. Queenie stood beside her and smiled. Cody stood on the far left, with Rex leaning onto Fives’ shoulder, and Echo standing on the right. Dina took four photos, one for each of them.</p><p>Turning the camera around she showed them the photos. Fives kissed her forehead, and she felt so happy.</p><p>“I’ll get you each a copy of it!”</p><p>“It’s prefect.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Ando Prime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ondina, along with Fives, Echo and Jesse boarded Anima, who huffed in indignation.</p><p>“So I see you haven’t forgotten about me!”</p><p>“Oh hush you!”</p><p>“And here I thought you’d forget about me now that you have a plaything!”</p><p> Ondina felt herself go completely red, as her friends burst into laughter.</p><p>“<em>ANIMA!”</em></p><p>“Well, it’s true!”</p><p>Dina banged her head against the control panel, groaning.</p><p>“Don’t act l—,” but whatever she was going to say was cut off when Fives turned Anima off.</p><p>Dina gave him a grateful smile, which he returned.</p><p>“Aww,” Echo grinned, “it was just getting good!”</p><p>Fives hit him. Echo complained and rubbed his shoulder. Dina rolled her eyes and turned back to the controls. She began the launch sequence. It was a relatively easy landing, that is until Anima turned her audio back on.</p><p>“How dare you turn me off!!”</p><p>Dina yelped and nearly crashed into another ship. She got a lot of angry holo calls from that. Which she quickly apologized for.</p><p>“Are you joking?”</p><p>“That was rude!”</p><p>“I almost crashed!”</p><p>“That’s not my problem! You turned me off!”</p><p>Dina groaned, realizing this conversation wasn’t going to be going anywhere. Standing up, she went to the back of the ship, changing into her winter clothes. Though, she had a feeling that it wasn’t nearly as insulated as her friend’s winter suits. The entire time, she could hear Anima complaining, while Echo and Jesse laughed.</p><p>When she came back out, her friends turned and gave her a worried expression.</p><p>“Cyar’ika, are you sure you’ll be alright in that? It’s not very thick. And the planet is very cold.”</p><p>“I’ll be fine. The cold doesn’t bother me, anyway.”</p><p>The clones didn’t look very convinced.</p><p>“The oceans of Norma aren’t the warmest in the galaxy. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Last time you said that you nearly died. I don’t want to go through that again.”</p><p>“None of us want to go through that again!” Echo hollered. “I don’t think I can handle sulking Fives again!”</p><p>“Cold really doesn’t bother me, Love.”</p><p>Fives still didn’t seem completely convinced but nodded.</p><p> Dina went back to the control panel and began the landing procedure. Pushing up her mask, and pulling down her goggles, she and the others disembarked Anima.</p><p>“You better not forget about me this time!”</p><p>Dina groaned, rolled her eyes, and put her head in her hands. She moved her staff from her left to her right hand.</p><p>Skywalker and Tano came to meet them along with the Captain, Kix, and his medic.</p><p>“Aren’t you cold?” Tano asked.</p><p>“No.” She really wasn’t.</p><p>“There’s a Seppie base about three clicks that way!” Rex shouted over the wind.</p><p>The march to the base was a long one, but one much easier than the one on Seelos. And Dina would happily take this over a dessert any day. Fives kept asking if she was alright until she finally turned on him.</p><p>“Fives, I promise I’m fine. I appreciate your concern. But please, stop hovering!”</p><p>Fives looked like a hurt puppy but nodded.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Olrun. I’m just worried.”</p><p>“I know you are. But I promise you, I’m alright.”</p><p>Fives sighed.</p><p>“Alright. I believe you. I’ll stop hovering.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>But soon after that, blaster fire began to rain down around them.</p><p>“Get to cover!” Skywalker shouted.</p><p>Clones began to look around for cove in the snow and ice. Dina took it upon herself to make them cover. Several walls made of snow and ice appeared for them. Many shouted their thanks at her. Dina summoned the power of the Force and created ice spiked and fired them in the direction of the blaster fire. She didn’t want another Seelos to happen.</p><p>“<em>Арслан ирвээс алалдан уралдъя. Барс ирвээс байлдан уралдъя.”</em></p><p>The snow around her comes to life, as it begins to form in a giant and started stomping its way to the Separatist forces. Many of the men around her began shouting and cheering, but she couldn’t enjoy the joy of the men around her, as she had to keep a large deal of her concentration on the spell she was casting. Dina wasn’t nearly as good at magic as Eir or Sigrún. If her concentration broke, then the giant would turn back into a mountain of snow.</p><p>“Charge!” someone shouted.</p><p>Dina found it very hard for her to move, but she knew if she stayed, she could become a sitting target. So she slowly made her way to the base with the others. Her head was starting to hurt, the spell beginning to take its toll on her.  It was started to get very hard to think and see. Her vision kept going in and out.</p><p>Suddenly, Ondina wasn’t on Ando Prime anymore. She was back on Coruscant. She didn’t know how she knew that, she just did. It wasn’t any part of the planet that she knew, but for some reason, she knew it was the capital planet. She was in a warehouse, surrounded by hundreds of crates. Then she heard the familiar voices of Fives, Rex, and Skywalker. Dina couldn’t make out what they were saying, but moving forward, she could see her love standing there in shiny armor, completely bald, and talking nonsense. Rex and Skywalker were standing behind a blast shield trying to talk sense to him. Fives seemed incredibly agitated, he kept shouting about some plot about the Jedi.</p><p>They continued arguing about whatever it was Fives was trying to get across, but his sentences were short and choppy, making very little sense, even to Dina. Suddenly, a loud bang and several more shouting came from what Ondina assumed was the entrance to the warehouse. Turning, she saw Fox and some of his troops racing forward, blasters are drawn.</p><p>Then everything started slowing down, Ondina could do nothing but watch in horror as Fives erroneously grabbed one of Rex’s discarded blasters and aimed. She didn’t see who fired first, but she saw Fives fall.</p><p>She screamed.</p><p>Ondina screamed, finding herself back on the winter planet, having been surrounded by droids. But she didn’t care. The images in her head refused to leave. Falling to her knees, she let her grip on the Force go, a wave of energy blasted the droids apart and made them all crumble to dust.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ondina's spell: The lion is in a bloody battle to the death. The tiger overcomes the leopard in a match<br/>(These are The Hu lyrics)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Going Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dina woke up to the sharp pain of her shoulder drying out. Her hiss of pain must have been loud because it woke Fives up, who instantly went into overprotective boyfriend mode.</p><p>“What’s happened? What’s wrong? What can I do?”</p><p>“Calm down, Fives. It’s just my shoulder.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with it?”</p><p>“Nothing. It just dried out,” she said sitting up.</p><p>“Oh. Do you need to go back to your tank?”</p><p>“Probably. But I can wait until tonight.”</p><p>“You sure?”</p><p>She playfully hit his shoulder.</p><p>“Yes you mother hen, I am!”</p><p>Fives held up his hands in surrender, a smile on his face.</p><p>“I just worry about you, cyar’ika.”</p><p>Dina smiled at him, leaned down, and pressed her lips to his.</p><p>“I know, Love. But I can take care of myself.”</p><p>“I know you can. But I’ll still worry.”</p><p>Hearing Fives say that made Ondina feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Soon he was pulling away from her, a serious look on his face.</p><p>“Dina, can we talk?”</p><p>She felt her heart drop. He was going to break up with her.</p><p>“What did I do? Please don’t break up with me.”</p><p>“What? No, no, no, no, no! I’d be crazy to break up with you! No, I wanted to talk about setting boundaries.”</p><p>“What for?”</p><p>“So we can make sure we don’t do things we don’t like.”</p><p>“Oh.” She felt a little embarrassed, she didn’t know anything about this. “What should we talk about?”</p><p>“What are somethings that you don’t like?”</p><p>“Like when we sleep together?”</p><p>Fives smiled.</p><p>“It could be. Or it could be anything.”</p><p>“I don’t like being hit. Or called names.”</p><p>Fives looked at her with such reverence as he took her hand and squeezed it.</p><p>“I wouldn’t dream of it.”</p><p>She gave him a relieved smile.</p><p>“I guess I would also like to be able to have my own space, I guess.”</p><p>Fives listened patiently as Ondina aired her grievances, which most of them had nothing to do with him, but the woman that had ruined her life two years ago.</p><p>Once they were finished talking, they started getting ready for the day. Dina felt invigorated by the conversation. It made her so happy.</p><p>Dina hoped it was going to be an easy day. But, like everything that involved the 501<sup>st</sup>, things would never be so simple. The two of them left their shared room to the sound of arguing. Looking around the corner to find Kix and Echo indiscriminately shouting at each other. Dina and Fives exchanged looks, with Fives shrugging, and going over to his brothers to break them up.</p><p>“What are you two arguing about?” Dina asked as Fives separated the two men.</p><p>“I was just informing Echo that my girlfriend does not – “</p><p>“So you <em>do </em>admit it!”</p><p>“Admit what?”</p><p>“That Doc is your girlfriend!”</p><p>“I’ve never denied it!”</p><p>The two devolved into another round of arguing, reminding Dina a lot of Max and Harrison, Sigrún’s boys. All too soon they had dragged Fives into their argument. Which, to Dina, just sounded like a bunch of nonsensical shouting. It made her question why she loved him in the first place. But then she thought back to their conversation this morning and knew exactly why.</p><p>Checking the time, she realized she was going to be late for a meeting with the rest of the Nine that Geirdiful had organized. Maybe she could finally put the mystery of the Recording to rest. So she left the boys to argue to their heart's content.</p><p>As she walked to the meeting room, Dina marveled at the ship around her. Amazed at how quickly this place became like home. And how it had helped her heal like nothing else. She also marveled at the number of friends she had made in the past few months. She felt for the first time in a long time that she could actually enjoy her life. And that made her happy.</p><p>Once she made it to the meeting room and signed into the meeting, she was greeted by a pacing Sigrún. Wondering what she had missed in such a short time, Dina turned to Hildr and asked.</p><p>“Apparently the Separatists are planning an invasion of Norma.”</p><p>This left Ondina stunned. The Separatists wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and attack Norma! What could they possibly hope to gain by doing something so stupid? It didn’t make any sense! The Yggdrasil Empire hadn’t been invaded in thousands of generations.</p><p>“Why would they want to invade us?”</p><p>“I don’t know. But this isn’t the best thought out plan.”</p><p>“Geir,” Sigrún interrupted, “why have you called this meeting?”</p><p>“I… I… I found the original recording,” she stuttered.</p><p>There was silence from everyone.</p><p>“Are you sure?” she asked.</p><p>“Very,” Geir nodded.</p><p>“Well, show us then!” Sigrún demanded.</p><p>Geir gave Sigrún a very uncertain look, before typing in the code to start the recording.</p><p>As always, the recording started with the sound of a door creaking open, and when the figure walked into frame… <em>dear Malahari! </em>It was Emperor Jacob Shelby! She couldn’t believe it! She thought he had been exiled years ago!</p><p>“It’s important to seize an opportunity before it slides through your wrenched fingers.” Jacob’s smiled looked like he was a kid in the candy store. “The Nine have left their charges alone. This will be the perfect chance to execute our plan. You see, the past so often dies without passing on its bountiful secrets. But oh, Marie! The secrets you’ve left behind! How very interesting! Such knowledge! Such opportunity! The time draws near for a dark revival to come at last! Finally, I will have my revenge!”</p><p>This time, instead of ending, a new voice joined in.</p><p>“Our allies will ensure that you will once again sit upon the throne of the Yggdrasil Empire. And I assume I can count on your support in the future.”</p><p>“Of course, My Lord.”</p><p>When the recording ended and Geir had taken down the recording, no one spoke, everyone too shocked to speak. It was Sigrún that broke the silence, letting lose a horrible screech, one so loud that it made all the holos short circuit. Sigrún very briefly took on her full avian appearance.</p><p>“Why…” Eir trailed off.</p><p>“Why would he do this?” asked Gunnr.</p><p>“Because he’s an abusive, evil, egomaniac asshole!” Sigrún seethed.</p><p>Everyone exchanged looks, no one had ever seen her this angry. Angry enough to let her appearance slip.</p><p>But before anyone could say anything to Sigrún, the sound of a horn sound once… twice… thrice.</p><p>It was invasion.</p><p>“Everyone who has left the Empire is to return immediately.”</p><p>Olrun quickly ran from the room, forgetting to turn off the holo call. But she didn’t care. Her home was being invaded. She ran as fast as she could, trying to get to the bridge, knowing that would be where the Jedi would be. Part of her didn’t want to believe it, why would the Separatists want to invade them? They’d done nothing to warrant an invasion! Olrun barreled past the clones, pushing several out of the way, stumbling as she did so. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she ran.</p><p>Finally, she made it to the bridge. Bursting in on them, startling the Captain and Admiral Yularen.</p><p>“Olrun,” Skywalker said calmly, “what’s the matter?”</p><p>“Invasion…” she panted, hands on her knees, “the Separatists…” she heaved with the effort of getting the words out; “their invading… <em>Norma!”</em></p><p>The men, and Ahsoka, seemed just as stunned as the Nine had been at this news.</p><p>“Why would the Seppies want to invade Yggdrasil?” Rex asked.</p><p>Dina shook her head. “Don’t know. Sigrún has called all of us back…”</p><p>“Of course we’ll help!” Ahsoka exclaimed.</p><p>“Now hang on, Snips, we can’t just show up in Yggdrasil with an entire fleet. We need to be formally invited.”</p><p>Olrun finally was able to catch her breath and stood up straight.</p><p>“You’re right,” she agreed, “you do need to be formally invited. Well, as a member of the Rocstóll aff Níu, I, Olrun, am formally inviting you to help save my home. Will you help us?”</p><p>“Of course we will.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Invasion of Norma Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olrun</p><p> </p><p>Olrun was willing the Resolute to go faster. They were so close to home. Why was this taking so long? Her people needed her. Geir had contacted them a few minutes ago and told them that she had found out where the Separatists planned on attacking. Not the Rivera, but the very heart of the Empire. The World Tree itself. If Fortress Valhalla fell… she didn’t even want to think of it. She would not let the Empire fall! It had never fallen!</p><p>“We’re approaching Norma,” Admiral Yularen told her.</p><p>“Thank you, Admiral.”</p><p>He started to walk away before pausing and turning back to her.</p><p>“We will not let your home fall.”</p><p>She gave him a grateful smile. She knew he was just saying this to comfort her, but she was grateful, nonetheless.</p><p>Rota</p><p> </p><p>The Keepers scrambled around Fortress Valhalla. Trying desperately to fortify the Fortress for the coming invasion. Why did Sigrún have to be halfway across the Empire of all times, she’ll never know.</p><p>“I want all the students that are too young to fight to be taken somewhere safe,” she cried.</p><p>“Where, my lady?”</p><p>“I don’t care,” she snapped. “I just don’t want them here!”</p><p>The poor Keeper saluted and scrambled away. The sound of a single horn blast alerted her to the arrival of her sisters, including Geirdiful. But not, Gondul, Olrun, Eir, and – Other take her – not Sigrún! Where was she? They needed her! Why wasn’t she here?</p><p>Rota greeted her sisters with relieved hugs and gratitude. With them, they had brought some of their best Keepers. It wasn’t much, maybe fifty people, including her sisters in total. She had hoped that the two fleets that Olrun and Eir were bringing with them would help turn the tides.</p><p>None of them said anything, but they all felt afraid. They had never been invaded. And on top of that, they were not complete! The Nine were missing four of their members. Missing their leader! She prayed that they would make it!</p><p> </p><p>Gondul</p><p> </p><p>She was pacing back and forth. This transport was going <em>too slow! </em>She needed to be home hours ago! Why couldn’t this thing go faster? She wanted to scream with frustration, and there was nothing she could do from this transport! She started pulling at her silver hair. She felt useless.</p><p>“How much longer until arrival?” She asked for the thousandth time.</p><p>“About an hour, ma’am.”</p><p>She groaned, flopping down on one of the chairs, burying her head in her hands.</p><p>“Can’t you make this thing go faster?”</p><p>“No ma’am. This is as fast as it goes.”</p><p>Gondul groaned again.</p><p>She wanted to be home, why did she have to be so far away? She wanted to help her home! And the only way she could do that if she could get off this transport! She began to pace again, she knew she was irritating the pilots, but she really didn’t care. She needed to be home. She felt like she was going to be sick. Why did this thing have to be so slow?</p><p> </p><p>Geirdiful</p><p> </p><p>Geir sat in the barracks sharpening her twin daggers. She couldn’t believe that the Confederacy would do this! After all the time she had spent greasing elbows and going to parties. And they turn around and do this! But… then again, she really shouldn’t be surprised. Count Dooku had taken an interest in her once she arrived on Raxus Secundus. She felt so irritated! Dooku had rarely left her alone.</p><p>“Sister.” She looked up and found Gunnr, one of the two youngest, was standing in the entry, she looked nervous. Geir didn’t blame her. She and Hildr had only achieved their rankings the year before.</p><p>“Yes, Gunnr? What is it?”</p><p>“Um… Rota wanted to speak to you.”</p><p>She nodded, running her fingers through her long kinky black hair, sheathing her daggers. Geir stood, as she passed Gunnr, she squeezed her shoulder, as a way of letting her know that Geir understood her fears. The young woman gave her a grateful smile.</p><p>Gunnr was about eighteen, a beautiful tan complexion, chocolate brown eyes, and was wearing a plain beige hijab. This would be her first big fight, but Geir had faith that the previous Gunnr had taught her well.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Gunnr. We’ll get through this.”</p><p>“Thank you, Geirdiful.”</p><p>“Don’t worry.”</p><p> </p><p>She found Rota standing on the battlements, overlooking the preparations. She didn’t look at her as Geir approached, opting instead to watch the Keepers go about the fortifications, her short red hair blowing in the wind. Rota took a deep breath before speaking.</p><p>“Do you know why the Confederacy would suddenly attack us like this?” she asked, a slight tremor to her voice, which was the only indication of what she was feeling.</p><p>“If I did, I would tell you. But I don’t. I wish I did.”</p><p>Rota took another deep breath, before nodding, fidgeting with her gloves.</p><p>“Do you have any idea on what we’re up against?”</p><p>“No. All I know is that we’re going up against a lot of droids.”</p><p> </p><p>Olrun</p><p> </p><p>The 501<sup>st</sup> began loading into their transports. Olrun and her boys loaded into Anima, who had already prepped herself and was ready for takeoff the second they left hyperspace. None of the boys spoke as they strapped in. They could sense now wasn’t the for jokes or their usual tomfoolery. Olrun’s only thoughts were to get home as soon as she could. Fives sat next to her and kept gazing at her from the corner of his eyes, but she shook her head, she didn’t want to talk about it.</p><p>“The Resolute is coming out of hyperspace,” Anima said. “Getting ready for lift-off.”</p><p>“Be ready to haul ass, Anima,” Olrun said.</p><p>“Aren’t I always.”</p><p>Olrun couldn’t help but let a tiny smile escape her. That reminded her that she needed to thank Eir for Anima. But she desperately hoped she would get the chase.</p><p>“If we make it through this,” she said to the boys, “I’m buying you all a round of drinks.”</p><p> </p><p>Hildr</p><p>She couldn’t believe it! Was this really happening? Were they really being invaded? She had never heard of someone who would have the audacity to invade them! She couldn’t believe it! She didn’t want to believe it! She watched as everyone scrambled around, trying to get ready for the coming invasion. She could feel her heart start to race as she stared out at the beach, her fists gripping the ramparts.</p><p>“Hildr,” a voice called making her jump. Whipping around, she found Kara walking towards her, her braids whipping in the wind. Kara was so much taller than her and prettier. Kara had beautiful dark brown, nearly black, skin, kind black eyes, and her long thick braids falling around her shoulders. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“Just a bit nervous.”</p><p>Kara gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder. “You have every right to be nervous. Truth be told, I’m nervous too.”</p><p>“Really? You don’t look it.”</p><p>Her smile turned into a grin and she ruffled Hildr’s hair, reminding her of her older brother.</p><p>“I guess I’m just better at hiding it.”</p><p>“I guess,” Hildr said, fixing her hair back.</p><p>Kara put both hands on her shoulders, turning her to fully face the older woman.</p><p>“Trust in your training, Hildr. If you do, then you have nothing to worry about.”</p><p>Hildr thanked her when someone shouted that there were incoming Republic troops.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Invasion Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the same chapter from Healer's Gambit moved over to here.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eir</p><p> </p><p>Eir and the 327<sup>th</sup> landed on the outskirts of Valhalla, the boys gazing up in wonder at the World Tree. Secura and Luca also gazed up in wonder at the Yggdrasil Tree, as there was nothing else like it in the galaxy. They then gazed around at the giant roots that surrounded them.</p><p>“Come now, we don’t have time to sightsee. There will be time for that later,” Eir said.</p><p>The men snapped to attention and began to follow Eir as they marched towards the fortress. As they marched, Eir called up to Valhalla and got Rota who answered. Which surprised her.</p><p>“Yes?” asked a very stressed-out sounding Rota.</p><p>“Rota? Where’s Sigrún?”</p><p>“Halfway across the Empire.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“She got a request to investigate some rumors on some planet!” she snapped.</p><p>“Have you or anyone been able to contact her?”</p><p>“Oh gee, why didn’t I think of that?!”</p><p>Eir cringed at her sister’s fury. But she didn’t say anything knowing that without Sigrún, leadership fell to her.</p><p>“Who all are we missing?”</p><p>“Right now? Just Sigrún and Gondul.”</p><p>“So Olrun is here?”</p><p>“Just got to the fortress with the 501<sup>st</sup> and 212<sup>th</sup>.”</p><p>“That’s good. We’ll be there shortly.”</p><p>“Please hurry. I don’t think we have much time left.”</p><p>Eir turned to the 327<sup>th</sup> feeling more grateful for them than she had ever had in her life. But now wasn’t the time for empathy, they needed to get to Valhalla, and quick.</p><p> </p><p>Rota</p><p>Where were they? Gondul she could understand why it was taking her so long, but <em>Sigrún? </em>She was so much closer to Norma! Where was she? They needed her! She had actually led troops into battle, not her! She was at a complete loss for how to keep this place going! She paced back and forth on the battlements, she was pulling on her hair. Where were they? Where were they?!</p><p>“A Republic transport is arriving, ma’am!”</p><p>“Is it Sigrún?” she asked nervously.</p><p>“No ma’am. It’s Gondul.”</p><p>Rota fought back the groan that threatened to tear from her throat. Be grateful that Gondul’s made it back, she told herself. But, try as she might, it was hard not to feel dejected. Their leader and her clones were still missing, they had never faced a force like this before. Rota hadn’t signed up to lead them! That was Sigrún’s job, and now she was missing!</p><p>“I need to start drinking more,” she told herself.</p><p>The second the transport had let Gondul off, they immediately took off once more. Not that she blamed them. She didn’t want to be here anymore than they did. The two women quickly hugged one another, before going about the fortifications. Just as Eir arrived with her troops. It was the first time Rota had seen a clone since leaving Gondul, all those months ago, on Coruscant. There were easily a thousand of them. Maybe more. Maybe they did have a chance of winning this thing. Especially if Olrun was bringing two more fleets like this.</p><p>Eir left the clones and Jedi with her so she could go get changed. Gondul began conserving with the two Jedi, while Rota slowly descended into her spiraling thoughts. She vaguely heard someone call out her name, but she wasn’t paying attention. Someone called to her again.</p><p>Gondul</p><p>She had been talking to the Jedi about what they could do to help in preparations when she looked over and saw Rota turning very pale and looking like she was going to pass out. This wasn’t good. She dismissed the Jedi and took her sister by the shoulders and guided her to a secluded corner and sat her down on a barrel. She tried to get Rota’s attention but found that she couldn’t. That she was too far gone for her to get to her. Gondul sighed, stood up straight, resting her hands on her hips before holding her hand out in front of her, and blasted her sister with a wave of energy.</p><p>This snapped her out of whatever it was that had a hold of her. She whipped her head around looking for whoever had hit her. She settled when she saw that it was Gondul.</p><p>“What did you do that for?” she asked.</p><p>“Because you were spiraling. And you can’t do that! Right now we need you! You can’t space out like that right now! We need you!”</p><p>“No!” she jumped up, “we need Sigrún!”</p><p> “Well, we don’t have Sigrún! We have you! And you need to pull yourself together!”</p><p> </p><p>Kara</p><p>She sat in the war room, tying back all her braids in a nice tight bun. The war room was empty, ironically enough, everyone too busy preparing for the Confederacy to be here. Which suited her just fine. She needed a nice quiet place to think. So much had happened in such a short time. They had found out that the Former Emperor Jacob had organized his daughter and son-in-law’s deaths, that there was someone else helping him. Possibly still helping him. And that meant that there might be others who helped Jacob.</p><p>And on top of that, Lady Sigrún was missing. Only eight of the Nine were here. Where was she? Sigrún should have been back before Eir, Olrun, and Gondul. It made no sense! Where was she? Why wasn’t she here?</p><p>On a whim, she tried dialing her. But after a few rings, the line went dead. That wasn’t good. Kara wondered if she and her clones were in trouble. But they couldn’t dwell on that, Sigrún would expect them to be able to handle this situation in her absences.</p><p>Standing up, she took her spear in hand and exited the war room.</p><p> </p><p>Eir</p><p>Eir, Bly, and Secura stood above the gatehouse, gazing out at all the troops that were preparing for the coming assault. The tension in the air being thick enough to be cut with a knife. All of Eir’s usual cheeriness gone. The Jedi and Commander stood behind her, exchanging glances at her silence.</p><p>“You should send some troops to the Yggdrasil Village. They’ll need protection.”</p><p>“Where is the village?” Secura asked.</p><p>“About three klicks that way,” Eir said nodded in the direction.</p><p>“I’ll go,” Secura said.</p><p>“No,” Eir snapped, causing her two companions to jump at the severity of her voice. “We need you here. If you want to go, then you must ask Rota. The ultimate decision lies with her.”</p><p>“What happened to Sigrún?” Bly asked, feeling like he was walking on eggshells.</p><p>Eir turned to look at her from over her shoulder, the nine-pointed star circlet glinting in the sunlight.</p><p>“We don’t know. No one has been able to contact her. No one knows where she is.”</p><p>“The Separatists might be jamming your communications,” Secura said.</p><p>“I don’t see them, though,” Eir said turning to face the sky. “Wouldn’t they have to be here to do that?”</p><p>“Maybe she’s left?” Bly suggested.</p><p>Eir rounded on her lover, eyes blazing.</p><p>“Lady Sigrún would <em>not </em>abandon us!”</p><p>Bly backed away with his hands held up in surrender.</p><p>“That wasn’t what I was trying to imply, Eir.”</p><p>“Then what was it?” she snapped.</p><p>Bly opened and closed his mouth several times but said nothing. Eir turned her back to him, furious.</p><p>“Leave,” she demanded.</p><p>“But, I—”</p><p>“<em>Leave!</em>”</p><p>Gunnr</p><p>She joined the others in the courtyard, the older girls seemed calmer than she and Hildr. Eir seemed furious for some reason. Olrun was off in a corner talking to a clone that had followed her here. Gunnr peered around Geirdiful to see them standing very close, with one of his hands on her hip. She wondered about the story there. Maybe she would ask them after this was over. This was also the first time she had ever seen a clone! Many of the ones wandering around looked so different from the next. Yes, they had similar faces, but they were just different.</p><p>Someone shouted something from the ramparts, something she couldn’t make out. But then the war horn sounded… once… twice…the invaders were here. In the distances, they saw several ships come out of hyperspace. Still, there was no Sigrún. They would have to handle this by themselves. The Jedi and some clones came to stand by them, the Jedi igniting their lightsabers. It was now or never. Gunnr felt terrified. She prayed and a quick prayer to the Malahari, hoping that they would all get through it and that Sigrún would return shortly.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Invasion Part 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rota</p><p> </p><p>She stared up at the massive ships that were baring down on them. This wasn’t looking good. Where was Sigrún? It didn’t seem real. This wasn’t right! Smaller ships from the Confederacy ships began to descend down to the surface. Rota swallowed hard, feeling her heart trying to beat out of her chest.</p><p>“Everyone get ready.”</p><p>The clones raised their blasters, the Jedi their sabers, and her sisters armed themselves. Determined looks on all their faces. Rota hoped they were as brave as they looked, because she still couldn’t believe this is was happening.</p><p>“Don’t get too trapped in your head, sister,” Eir said.</p><p>Rota nodded, trying to clam her mind.</p><p>“We should go and meet them,” one of the clones, she didn’t know what his name was.</p><p>“Eir, go see where they’ll be coming from.”</p><p>She nodded, and lifted into the air, she stared intently out at the incoming droid army.</p><p>“What do you see?”</p><p>“More droids than I can count.”</p><p>Rota tried to think of what to do, when several things happened at once, Eir made a noise, when an explosion went off, and Eir was thrown back, crashing into a wall. One of the clones cried out and raced towards her, Bly was his name, though Rota didn’t know for sure.</p><p> </p><p>Eir</p><p>She groaned as rubble rained down on her, feeling the wind knocked out of her. She struggled to get the rubble off her when she heard Bly Darling shout her name. He helped pull the stones off her.</p><p>“What was that?” Bly Darling asked.</p><p>“They fucking shot at me!” Eir seethed as Bly Darling helped her up.</p><p>Bly Darling smiled, relieved but then the battleship that was hovering over Valhalla began firing upon them. As quickly as everyone could, they summoned a barrier to protect the castle from the onslaught.</p><p>Sigrún</p><p>“Sigrún, where are you going?” Hunter shouted.</p><p>“I’m faster than this ship. I can get home faster,” she said, putting on what looked like a Norman spacesuit.</p><p>“What do you mean by that?” Tech shouted.</p><p>Everyone, even Crosshair, was trying to keep Sigrún from leaving the ship. They had just entered hyperspace. But she kept insisting that she could make it hack to Valhalla faster.</p><p>“Sigrún, if you go out there, then you’ll die. What about your sons?”</p><p>“It’s them I’m thinking about!” she snapped.</p><p>“Sigrún,” Tech said, “it’s impossible for you to survive hyperspace.”</p><p>“Ye of little faith. When you get to Valhalla, go to the village, protect the people there. They would not have had time to evacuate the village.”</p><p>And with that, she was gone.</p><p>“Well… we’re fucked.”</p><p> </p><p>Eir</p><p>The weight of all the fire raining down on them from above was starting to put a strain on them all. Cracks began to form in their barrier, as they slowly lost energy to continue. It was so much. Eir could feel everything in her screaming at her to stop, to rest. Just when she thought she would give in, the blitz stopped. Weight was taken from her shoulders as she slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the sky. The battleships had stopped firing at them and were instead firing into space.</p><p>Eir gazed confusedly over at Gondul who shrugged.</p><p>“What are they firing at?” someone asked.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Eir mumbled, only loud enough for Gondul to hear, who agreed with her.</p><p>“Someone get us eyes on what they’re firing at,” the Skywalker ordered.</p><p>One of the clones saluted and ran off.</p><p>“They’ve targeted an incoming object.”</p><p>“It’s Sigrún. It has to be.”</p><p>Sigrún burst through the clouds, dodging every single shot fired at her, a warm golden aura surrounding her. Sigrún plowed through the top of the battleship, setting off several explosions within the ship until she burst out from the underside of the ship. Everyone watched as the ship sank into the ocean. Then as another small ship entered the atmosphere and made its way to the village.</p><p>Sigrún landed in front of them, cracking the ground, a droid in each hand. When she looked up at them, eyes glowing a fierce yellow, she looked positively furious. The Nine and Keepers cheered in relief at her arrival while the clones and Jedi seemed nervous about her sudden arrival.</p><p>“Where have you been?” Rota exclaimed.</p><p>“Trying to get here,” Sigrún said standing, leaving the crushed droids at her feet. “What’s our strategy?” she asked Rota, who suddenly found the ground very interesting.</p><p>Sigrún groaned and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“The men on the beach are doing a good job of holding the line, but they won’t hold forever,” Sigrun said, now all business. “Olrun, Geirdiful, and Hildr, I want you three to go help them. Take two Jedi with you.”</p><p>“We have names, ya know!”</p><p>Sigrún ignored this outburst.</p><p>“I also want you to take some clones you trust.”</p><p>Olrun saluted and went to gather the men she wanted to take with her, while Geir stared at the ground in shame.</p><p>“This is not your fault, Geir,” Sigrún said squeezing her shoulder. “Do not think it is.”</p><p>“But it is.”</p><p>“No,” she shook her head, “but we will discuss this later.”</p><p>“Yes, My Lady.”</p><p>“Gondul, you and Gunnr go protect the village.”</p><p>“Yes, My Lady.”</p><p>“Take the Padawans with you. They can help,” the blue twi’lek said.</p><p>Sigrún agreed and the two groups left.</p><p>“What of the rest of us, My Lady?” Rota asked.</p><p>“The rest of you are to stay <em>here </em>and protect Valhalla. It cannot be allowed to fall.”</p><p>They saluted, with Rota going to the tower towards the back of the castle, while Kara and Eir went to the two towers that stood on either side of the gate.</p><p>Sigrún then turned to the remaining Jedi and clones.</p><p>“Will you help me protect my home?” she begged.</p><p>“Of course we will,” said a clone with strange blue markings on his helmet.</p><p>Sigrún smiled at him.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>She spread her massive wings and took to the sky once more. Someone whistled after she left.</p><p>“That’s quite the woman.”</p><p>“She certainly is,” Rex agreed.</p><p>He was amazed by how her mere presence was enough to rally the people here. After seeing her single-handedly take out a Separatist battleship, he could see why. She reminded him of his Senator, minus the giant wings of course.</p><p> </p><p>Team Beach</p><p>Olrun, Geir, Hildr, and her clones arrived on the beach to find the boys fighting against an insurmountable number of droids. Hildr almost immediately blasted apart several droids. Olrun threw her staff at a row of droids, impaling them. Geir sliced several commando droids in two once she hit the ground.</p><p>Fives came to stand next to Olrun, firing at the droids.</p><p>“So, this is your home, huh?” he asked.</p><p>“Yes, Fives.”</p><p>“It’s nice. Minus all the clankers.”</p><p>Olrun rolled her eyes.</p><p>“This isn’t where I live though. I live in Ottenburg, along the southern coast.”</p><p>“Can I come and visit you?”</p><p>Olrun gave him a confused look as she cut down another clanker.</p><p>“Already bored of me?”</p><p>“No. But aren’t you going home after this?”</p><p>Olrun laughed at her lover.</p><p>“Can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”</p><p>Fives was about to say something else when there was a horrible scream from one of her sisters. They turned to find a Shade pinning Geir to the ground in its jaws.</p><p>“What is that!” Fives exclaimed.</p><p>“A Shade! Shoot it!” Olrun screamed.</p><p>In the corner of her eye, she could see Hildr starting to summon Jörmungandr. That could help them in the fight against the Separatists. As the clones continued to shoot at the Shade Beast, the ground began to rumble as Jörmungandr woke. Finally, the Shade was killed, and Olrun rushed towards her sister. Blood poured from her shoulder and neck, where the Beast had her in its mouth. Olrun tried to staunch the bleeding with her hands, but the wound was too large.</p><p>“Hildr! Come quickly! I can’t stop the bleeding!”</p><p>The sun’s light was blocked as Jörmungandr rose from the water. He blinked and spoke in his ancient, slow language.</p><p>“<em>Why… have… you… woke… me…?”</em></p><p><em>“Great Protector,” </em>Olrun replied, “<em>our home is being invaded, again. We need your help.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Invaded…?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes. Please, we would not wake you from your slumber if we didn’t need you.”</em>
</p><p>The Separatists began firing at Jörmungandr, but he took no notice. Hildr held her hands over Geir’s wound and began to quietly chant, her hands glowing red.</p><p>Jörmungandr blinked down at Olrun.</p><p>“<em>What… is… the… price… of… asking… for… my… help…?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I will do anything to protect my people!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Anything…? Even… give…up… your…. Love…?”</em>
</p><p>Olrun looked at Fives, feeling like her world was coming down around her at Jörmungandr’s question. But knew what she had to do.</p><p>“<em>Yes. Even that.”</em></p><p>Jörmungandr slowly laughed.</p><p>“<em>I…can… tell… you… mean… what… you…say. I… will… not… take… him. I… will… help… you… Like… I… help… those… from… long… ago.”</em></p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Happiness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fives sighed as he leaned back, kicking his feet lightly in the water of the small pool he and Dina found. They had been on Norma for about a month now, how the Seppies thought they could win this, he would never know. From the sheer force of the Nine and that big snake, well… he was just glad they were on their side. But Dina had started to dry out, so the two of them had permission to leave the fighting for a while.</p><p>Dina had taken him to an underground pool that led out to the ocean. Fives sat on the ledge, with Dina, in her aquatic form, resting her head on his lap. Her clothes were folded up next to them. Fives had taken off his shoes to put them in the water. It was nice, this small moment of peace. They hadn’t talked much since coming here, but Fives figured that Dina was exhausted. He knew he was. He wondered if she had fallen asleep, he wouldn’t blame her if she had.</p><p>“You know what I wish?” Fives said.</p><p>It took her a while to reply, but when she did, he felt, more than heard it.</p><p>“I wish we could go back to that hotel room on Coruscant. It feels like so long ago.”</p><p>Dina nodded her head, before she looked up at him, and smiled.</p><p>She moved away from him to dip under the water. She came back up a few minutes later. When Dina came back up, she pushed her hair out of her face. Fives watched as she swam around the small pool, feeling content despite the chaos that was around them.</p><p>“Hey, Dina.”</p><p>She turned to face him.</p><p>“I love you, ya know that?”</p><p>Her face broke out in a huge grin, she was so beautiful to him. She swam over to the ledge and pulled herself out of the water. He waited for her to change back, when she threw herself at him, nearly falling into the water from the force of impact. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her antics.</p><p>“I love you too!” she exclaimed happily.</p><p>He smiled brightly at her, feeling like he could fly. He had the greatest woman ever. She was perfect. Fives realized that he had all he ever wanted right here in his arms. He loved her, and he could see him spending the rest of his life with her. He opened his mouth to try and tell her how he felt but found that there were no words that would fit how he felt about her.</p><p>At that moment, Fives knew that he was going to marry her, spend the rest of his life, however long or short it would be, with her.</p>
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